Tag: iowa softball

Hawkeye softball signee earns Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year Honors

Iowa softball signee Jena Young of Winterset was named the Gatorade Iowa Softball Player of the Year.

Iowa softball signee Jena Young added a big accolade to her growing list of high school accomplishments. Gatorade announced on Friday that the senior from Winterset, Iowa, was their 2022-2023 Iowa Softball Player of the Year.

“The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Young as Iowaโ€™s best high school softball player,” Gatorade stated in their official press release.

Young set the softball world on fire this year with her stellar play for the Huskies. The 5-foot-6 shortstop led Winterset to a 37-4 record and the Class 4A state championship last season, earning The Des Moines Register All-Iowa Player of the Year.

Young was a hitting machine, boasting a .624 batting average and 1.346 slugging percentage. She led the state in home runs with 22 and in total bases with 179. Her 55 RBIs and 70 runs scored were the top marks in 4A.

“Jena Young is a stellar softball player. She has great all-around skills in every area of the game,” said Steve Schlafke, head coach at Dallas Center-Grimes High School. “Sheโ€™s passionate about the sport, plays the game at the highest of levels, and has few weaknesses as a player. I love her competitive spirit and enjoy watching her play.”

While one of the best players in the nation on the field, Young also represents herself extremely well off the diamond. According to Gatorade’s official press release, Young has volunteered locally as a referee for youth basketball leagues and an instructor at youth basketball camps. She also has donated her time giving hitting lessons to youth softball players. Even as a high schooler, she has been a great ambassador for the game to the next generation of athletes and will look to continue doing so in Iowa City.

Jena Young is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award which will be announced in June. She joins a nine-player Hawkeye signing class that also includes Soo-Jin Berry, Devin Bowman, Mya Clark, Andrea Jaskowiak, Georgia Lessmann, Ellie Lynch, Jaylee Ojo and Devin Simon.

“This is a really exciting, well-rounded class,” Iowa head softball coach Renee Gillispie said of the class in November. “We are adding players that will help continue to grow the culture of Iowa softball. We are happy to welcome these nine amazing players to the Hawkeye family. We canโ€™t wait to see them in the black and gold.”

The Hawkeyes just finished their 2023 season with a 35-27 (10-13 Big Ten) record. Iowa capped its season by winning the National Invitational Softball Championship and Nia Carter was honored as a third-team All-American by Collegiate Softball.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=17]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Contact/Follow usย @HawkeyesWireย on Twitter, and like our page onย Facebookย to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Jacob on Twitter:ย @Jacobkeppen

Iowa softball senior Nia Carter earns All-American honors from Softball America

Nia Carter, a Hawkeye senior from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., capped a strong Iowa softball season with All-American honors.

Nia Carter capped a historic senior season with a well-deserved reward. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., product was recognized as a third-team All-American by Softball America.

The 5-foot-1 senior from Cali tallied a remarkable 101 hits on the season. That figure was good for second nationally, trailing only Wichita State shortstop Sydney McKinney’s 103 hits.

It’s also just the second time in Big Ten history that a player topped the 100 hits mark. Carter joins Ohio State‘s Anna Smith in that distinction. Smith had 105 hits during the 2002 season.

Carter also finished the 2023 season with a .479 batting average, which ranked third nationally behind only McKinney and Ashley Trierweiler of Santa Clara. She also tallied 45 runs scored, 30 RBIs, 23 walks, and eight stolen bases.

Carter helped Iowa softball (35-27, 10-13 Big Ten) rally with a wild five-run seventh inning to top BYU, 9-7, in the 2023 National Invitational Softball Championships title game. She came home to score on Iowa sophomore Tatianna Roman’s infield single for the go-ahead run.

As a result, Carter joined Iowa freshman pitcher Jalen Adams, junior second baseman Grace Banes, and junior designated player Denali Loecker on the NISC’s All-Tournament Team. Banes was named the NISC’s Most Valuable Player after hitting .385 with three home runs and seven RBIs.

Carter was also a NFCA All-Region first team selection and was named to the 2023 Big Ten All-Tournament Team.

Carter joined the following Big Ten players among Softball America’s All-American teams: Indiana freshman second baseman Taryn Kern was named first team, Ohio State sophomore outfielder Melina Wilkison was named second team, Indiana sophomore designated player Taylor Minnick was named second team, Minnesota senior pitcher Autumn Pease was named third team, Nebraska shortstop Billie Andrews was named third team, and Northwestern graduate student pitcher Danielle Williams was named to the third team.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Contact/Follow usย @HawkeyesWireย on Twitter, and like our page onย Facebookย to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF