Five Bruins named to all-NSAA softball teams

MADISON, S.D. -- Five Bellevue University softball athletes were named to the all-North Star Athletic Association softball teams announced today by the conference office. The Bruins also brought home one of the league's major awards in a vote by the league coaches.

Junior pitcher Kelli Fisher, junior outfielder Kaitlyn Goney, sophomore outfielder Sarah Zeleny, and freshman utility player Emily Miller all earned first team honors. Sophomore shortstop Emily Gigax was named to the second team.

Bruin head coach Michala Cimino was named the conference's Coach of the Year, the fifth time she has earned that distinction in her career. Coach Cimino led the Bruins to an overall record of 34-20, reaching the bracket finals in the NSAA Tournament, and receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

Fisher was named an all-conference selection for the third time in her career after being a second team all-MCAC selection in 2015 and a first team pick in 2014. This season Fisher was the ace in the circle, compiling a 23-13 record to go along with a conference-best 1.16 ERA (third best in program history) and a career-high 187 strikeouts in 229.2 innings of work. She also set program single-season (5) and tied a program career (6) record for saves. Additionally, she became just the sixth pitcher in program history to post a WHIP of less than 1.000, as her mark of 0.884 was the second-best in program single-season history.

Goney earned all-conference accolades for the second time in her career after being a second team all-MCAC pick in 2015. Goney had a breakout season with the bat, setting career highs in average (.301), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.344), hits (28), runs scored (22), total bases (38), and doubles (4) and tying a career-high in stolen bases (4). Goney was also a steady hand in the outfield as she committed just three errors over 45 games played.

Zeleny earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career. After serving as a role player as a freshman Zeleny earned the starting centerfield spot with exceptional defense and a terrific offensive campaign. This season she led the team with 13 stolen bases (in 13 attempts) and was second on the club with a .313 batting average as one of only three players to appear in 50 or more games. Zeleny scored a career-high 19 runs and hit a pair of doubles while committing just three errors in centerfield.

Miller established herself as one of the Bruins' primary offensive weapons in her debut campaign en route to earning her first all-conference nod. A utility player who saw time at first, second, third, and in the outfield she produced everywhere she played. Miller led the team in batting average (.331) and runs scored (27). Miller was second in on-base percentage (.414), slugging percentage (.481), doubles (11), and hits (44). She proved to be a valuable run producer as well, driving in 23 runs and hitting three long balls.

Gigax picked up her first career all-conference award serving as a valuable offensive cog in the Bruin lineup and made a seamless transition to shortstop. She was the team leader in several offensive categories, including; slugging percentage (.535), hits (45), doubles (13), home runs (9), RBI (33 – tied), extra-base hits (22), and hit-by-pitch (20 – a school-record). Additionally, she batted .283 on the season and fielded an exceptional .948 while playing every game at shortstop and seeing 211 chances.

Major Award Winners:

Player of the Year: Alex Vargas (Dickinson State)
Pitcher of the Year: Alex Watson (Dickinson State)
Freshman of the Year: Abi Brooks (Dickinson State)
Coach of the Year: Michala Cimino (Bellevue)

2016 North Star Athletic Association Softball All-Conference First Team

2016 North Star Athletic Association Softball All-Conference Second Team

2016 North Star Athletic Association Softball All-Conference Gold Glove Team