KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Northeastern State softball team had eight members earn all-conference honors, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced Thursday evening prior to the start of the 2016 MIAA Softball Championship.
 
Leading the way was senior pitcher Kayce Wooldridge, who was named to the All-MIAA First Team. Seven RiverHawks earned honorable mention honors, and those were junior second baseman Madison Boyd, junior outfielder Ryan Martin, sophomore first baseman Paige Gann, sophomore outfielder Jessica Boone, redshirt freshman third baseman Haley Acrey, true freshman catcher Kyla Ibarra, and true freshman shortstop Kelsey Harmon.
 
Wooldridge becomes the first Northeastern State softball player to be named to an all-conference first team since outfielder Shelbi Bowin landed on the 2011 Lone Star Conference North Division First Team. She is also now the third pitcher in NSU's NCAA history to be honored on a first team, joining Jill Bowen (1997) and Casey Neely (2001).
 
Wooldridge ended the regular season as the MIAA leader in wins (21), earned-run average (1.37), complete games (27) and innings pitched (209). The victories, complete games and innings pitched are all school records. She is also second in opponent batting average (.225) and saves (3), third in strikeouts (149) and fourth in shutouts (6). She collected the second postseason laurel of her career after landing on the honorable mention team in 2014.
 
Boyd started all 53 games and ended the regular season with a .294 batting average (55-for-187), 26 runs scored, 14 runs batted in, eight doubles and nine stolen bases. She also added 96 putouts and a team-best 147 assists. This is the second postseason accolade of her career (honorable mention in 2014).
 
Martin earned her first all-conference honor after leading the RiverHawks with 35 RBI. She is batting .297 (44-for-148) and has recorded 10 doubles, eight home runs and 28 runs scored. She has started every game this year.
 
Gann has reached double-digit home runs for the second-straight season. She has tallied 29 runs, three doubles, 10 homers, 32 RBI and a .250 average (40-for-160). She has started in all 53 games and earned honorable mention distinction for the second-consecutive campaign.
 
Boone also landed on the honorable mention team for the second year in a row after tallying a .270 batting average (44-for-163), four homers, 22 RBI, 23 runs scored, and a team-high 13 doubles and two triples.
 
Acrey, Ibarra and Harmon all earned postseason recognition for the first time in their respective careers.
 
Acrey has started all 53 games and is batting .286 (42-for-147) to go along with 36 runs, 34 RBI, eight homers and six doubles.
 
Ibarra has a .245 average (36-for-147), 10 doubles, 10 runs scored, three homers and 17 RBI. She also has 205 putouts, 35 assists and just three errors for a .988 fielding percentage. Her .630 stolen base attempt percentage (34 stolen bases against, 20 caught stealing by) is by far the lowest in the conference.
 
Harmon leads the RiverHawks with a .312 average (39-for-125). She also owns 21 runs, 10 doubles, one triple, one walkoff grand slam, 22 RBI and five steals.
 
The eight All-MIAA honorees will lead Northeastern State into the MIAA Championship, which begins at 5 p.m. tonight. The RiverHawks (32-21, 15-11 MIAA) are seeded No. 5 in the double-elimination tournament and will meet No. 4 seed Pittsburg State in the first round.
 
2016 MIAA SOFTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
MIAA Player of the Year: Morgan Heard, SS, Central Oklahoma
MIAA Pitcher of the Year: Emmie Robertson, Pittsburg State
MIAA Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Torri Blythe, 2B, Northwest Missouri State; Ali Jo Rogers, SS, Central Missouri; Katie Klosterman, 3B, Missouri Western State
MIAA Freshman of the Year: Carli Jones, 1B, Central Oklahoma
MIAA Coach of the Year: Jennifer Trotter, Missouri Western State
 
2016 ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Kayce Wooldridge, Northeastern State
Pitcher: Emmie Robertson, Pittsburg State$
Catcher: Tori Collett, Central Oklahoma
First Base: Kate Ruwe, Nebraska-Kearney
Second Base: Torri Blythe, Northwest Missouri 
Shortstop: Morgan Heard, Central Oklahoma
Third Base: Katie Klosterman, Missouri Western
Outfield: Morgan Rathmann, Missouri Western
Outfield: Lexi Watson, Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Rebecca Wyatt, Nebraska-Kearney
Designated Player: Rachel Ray, Southwest Baptist
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Kylie Guthier, Pittsburg State
Utility/Pitcher: Emily Robinson, Central Missouri
$= Repeat First Team Selection
 
2016 ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Kendle Schieber, Northwest Missouri
Pitcher: Janie Smith, Missouri Western
Catcher: Nicole Nease, Pittsburg State
First Base: Carli Jones, Central Oklahoma
Second Base: Ally Dziadula, Central Oklahoma
Shortstop: Rebecca Maher, Northwest Missouri
Third Base: Chantel Adams, Northwest Missouri
Third Base: Katy Remy, Pittsburg State
Outfield: Rachel Harper, Central Oklahoma
Outfield: Abi Corbett, Missouri Southern
Outfield: Jobi Heath, Central Oklahoma
Designated Player: Taylor Hamilton, Missouri Western
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Alexis Theis, Lindenwood
Utility/Pitcher: Marina Quimby, Washburn
Note = Two third basemen due to tie in the voting

Honorable Mention
Pitcher: Nicole Brady, Central Oklahoma; Jessie Walker, Central Oklahoma; Eryn Stockman, Emporia State; Paxton Duran, Fort Hays State; Madison Ragar, Lincoln; Ashley Lutz, Missouri Southern; Shyanne Saladino, Missouri Western; Sarah Baldwin, Northwest Missouri; Morgan Myers, Pittsburg State; Kacey Ayers, Southwest Baptist; Samantha Carson, Washburn
Catcher: Erin Dwyer, Nebraska-Kearney; Kyla Ibarra, Northeastern State; Jessica Rawie, Northwest Missouri; Dana Graves, Southwest Baptist
First Base: Danielle Sprinkle, Emporia State; Tori Beltz, Fort Hays State; Kailey Green, Missouri Western; Paige Gann, Northeastern State; Alexis Kelsey, Northwest Missouri
Second Base: Courtney Dobson, Fort Hays State; Jessica Wolken, Lincoln; Madeline Bohr, Lindenwood; Paige Shifflett, Missouri Western; Madison Boyd, Northeastern State; Taylor Zimmerman, Washburn
Shortstop: Ali Jo Rogers, Central Missouri; Tori Nienhueser, Lincoln; Alexandra Newcomb, Lindenwood; Shelbie Atwell, Missouri Western; Kelsey Harmon, Northeastern State; Jenna Bolton, Pittsburg State; Cassidy Merriman, Washburn
Third Base: Emily King, Central Missouri; Ashton Smith, Central Oklahoma; Caitlyn Touchette, Lindenwood; Makenzi Dallas, Nebraska-Kearney; Haley Acrey, Northeastern State
Outfield: Alex Leonhart, Central Missouri; Caitlin VanVleck, Emporia State; Morgan Swisher, Emporia State; Rilee Krier, Fort Hays State; Hope McLeod, Lincoln; Brooklyn Sisk, Lindenwood; Alana Hester, Missouri Southern; Sydney Washington, Missouri Western; Paige Hamelin, Nebraska-Kearney; Ryan Martin, Northeastern State; Jessica Boone, Northeastern State; Jaedra Moses, Northwest Missouri; Ashton Pratt, Pittsburg State; Catie Cummins, Pittsburg State; Caitlin Evans, Southwest Baptist
Designated Player: Erica Harper, Emporia State; Madison Jones, Northwest Missouri
Utility/Non-Pitcher: Hailey Crabtree, Central Missouri; Ashley Rudder, Washburn
 
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