August 13, 2007

Elite National Tryout List Revealed
By Lisa Coffey

The last list is out, at least for now. The Amateur Softball Association and USA Softball announced its list of invitees for the upcoming Women's National Team Olympic Selection Camp scheduled for Sept. 10-14 in Chula Vista, Calif.

This could be the last time women's fastpitch softball players are named to a U.S. team with the hopes of qualifying and playing in the Olympics.

The players among those listed below will have a chance to represent the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, the last Olympic Games for the sport of softball until at least 2016.

Let's hope the women do well. They haven't let us down much yet.

The 2007 USA Softball Women's National Team just completed one of its most successful summers in recent history. It was 20-0 on its way to three gold medals that included its second World Cup title, sixth consecutive Pan Am gold medal and top honors at the Canada Cup.

During those three events, the Red, White and Blue outscored their opponents, 164-4, while posting a batting average of .426. The pitching staff held opponents to a .115 batting average. At the XV Pan Am Games, the summer's last competition, the USA posted a 4-0 record to earn their eighth overall Pan American gold medal.

Thirty-two players were invited to attend the camp. The invitees for the 2008 USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Camp:*Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) - Tennessee *Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) - Fresno State Katie Burkhart (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) -Arizona State *Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.) - Palm Beach C.C. Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif. ) - Northwestern Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.) - Arizona State *Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) - UCLA Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach Calif.) - UCLA *Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) - Arizona *Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.) - UCLA Kristie Fox (San Diego, Calif.) - Arizona Amanda Freed (Cypress, Calif.) - UCLA *Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.) - California Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.) - Corona del Sol H.S. *Alicia Hollowell (Suisun, Calif.) - Arizona *Lovieanne Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif.) - Arizona *Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, Fla.) - Alabama *Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.) - Stanford Brittany Lastrapes (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) - Laguna Hills H.S./Arizona *Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) - Arizona *Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) - Stanford Ashley Monceaux (Tucson, Ariz.) - Baylor Taryne Mowatt (Corona, Calif.) - Arizona Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, Calif.) - UCLA *Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) - Texas *Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich.) - Michigan Lindsay Schutzler (Monterey, Calif.) - Tennessee Angela Tincher (Eagle Rock, Va.) - Virginia Tech *Jenny Topping (Whittier, Calif.) - Cal State Fullerton Mackenzie Vandergeest (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) - Arizona *Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) - UCLA Kristen Zaleski (Temple, Texas) - Texas State *Member of the 2007 USA Softball Women's National Team.The roster for the 2008 USA Softball Women's National Team will be announced Sept. 17 and the selected team will begin training together in late September.

MANIACS 4TH IN NATIONALS

The Twilight Maniacs 16-and-under softball team placed fourth at the FAST Nationals in Ocoee in July.

Hannah Rogers, 15, a sophomore from Lake Wales, Melissa Murphy, 16, a junior at Lakeland Christian and Kenshyra Jackson, 16, a junior at Auburndale High School, helped the Sarasota Heat place fifth at the ASA 16-and-under nationals in Sioux Falls, S.D., where some 200 college coaches were on hand.

M & B PROPERTIES WINS

Lakeland's M & B Properties won the first Ironman Coed softball tournament Aug. 4 at the Southwest Complex. The M & B team played seven games in eight hours to win the title over seven other teams.

SIGN UP FOR FALL

The City of Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department is taking registrations for its fall adult softball league.

Registration will be held at the Kelly Recreation Complex through Aug. 31. The fee is $360 per team.

A manager's meeting will be held today at 6:30 p.m. at the Magnolia Building at the Lake Mirror Center next to Hollis Gardens.

The 10-game season will begin the week of Sept. 10. Games are Monday men's, Tuesday coed, Wednesday Open and Thursday men's and church.

For more, call Michael Marotz or Kasey Lloyd at 648-3283.