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Mount Vernon Nazarene University
800 Martinsburg Rd
Mount Vernon, OH 43050
(740) 392-6868


 

News

Lady Cougars to Honor Four Seniors on Tuesday
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s fastpitch softball team will honor its four senior softball players between games of the Lady Cougars’ American Mideast Conference South Division doubleheader with Urbana University that is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.


Ashley Reeves, Megan Kunkle, Heather Clark, and Stephanie Johnson have led the Lady Cougars to an 83-76 record over the past four years (.522 winning percentage). During that span, the team has won one National Christian College Athletic Association East Region Tournament (2004), made its first ever appearance in the NAIA Region IX Tournament (2003), and qualified for the AMC Playoffs twice (2003 and 2004). MVNU also took part in the 2004 NCCAA National Tournament and finished fifth out of 10 teams.

Reeves, an outfielder from Beavercreek, Ohio, has seen action in 73 games during her career primarily as a pinch runner. The former Beavercreek High School product has scored 26 career runs in that role. She was selected as the team’s Cougar Award recipient in 2005.

Kunkle, an outfielder from Mansfield, Ohio, has seen action in 71 games during her career in both the infield and the outfield. The former Crestview High School graduate has posted a .158 career batting average with 13 runs scored and 4 RBI.

Clark, a pitcher from Oxford, Ohio, has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the Lady Cougars’ history with a 42-36 career record in 87 career appearances with a 1.85 career ERA. The former Talawanda High School standout ranks sixth in career victories (42), third in career starts (77), career strikeouts (269), and career innings pitched (526 2/3), and fourth in career complete games (69) and career ERA (1.85). Clark has been named to the NCCAA East Region Team all four years and was twice an AMC South Division Second Team selection. She also tossed a perfect game against St. Olaf (Minn.) College on March 25, 2003. She has been nominated for the NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete Team as she has a 3.458 grade point average.

Johnson, a shortstop from Tallmadge, Ohio, has been one of the top offensive players in the history of the MVNU women’s fastpitch softball program. The former Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy star has played in all 159 of the Lady Cougars’ games during her four-year career, which ranks third on the school’s all-time games played list. Johnson, who holds the program’s career records for doubles (54) and at bats (534), also ranks second in school history in hits (212), RBI (134), triples (23), and assists (397), third in batting average (.397) and home runs (10), fourth in stolen bases (34), and sixth in runs scored (107).

For her efforts on the diamond, Johnson has been named to the NCCAA East Region Team all four years including being selected as the NCCAA East Region Player of the Year this season. She was named to the NCCAA All-American First Team in 2005 after being twice selected as an NCCAA Honorable Mention All-American. Johnson has twice been named to the AMC South Division Second Team, and she was the AMC Freshman of the Year in 2003. She was an NAIA and NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete last year and is up for those honors again this season as she has a 3.806 grade point average.

"The success of the MVNU softball team over the last four years is due in large part to the contributions on and off the field by the four seniors on this team,” said MVNU head coach Jeana Howald. "These four young ladies have made up probably the best class of players that I have ever had from a character standpoint. They have worked hard on the field and in the classroom, and they represent the values and ideals that we strive for as an institution. It has been my pleasure to be their coach these past four years.”

Following Tuesday’s doubleheader with Urbana, the Lady Cougars will close out the 2006 season with a non-conference doubleheader against Kenyon College on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.