Four Falcon softball players have been named to 2006 All-WIAC teams.

Third baseman Emily Howlett (So., Eagan, Minn.) was named to the first team. Pitcher Brittany Rathbun (So., Rochester, Minn. Mayo HS), center fielder Amanda Wojnowiak (So., Big Lake, Minn.) and shortstop Mindy Rudiger (Fr., Menomonie, Wis.) all earned honorable mention.

Howlett, who transferred to UWRF from Northern State, started all 42 games of the season at third base and hit .328, fifth on the team. She was one of thee players who finished with more than 40 hits, she had 40. She was third in doubles (10), had one triple and was tied for second in home runs (3). She was second in RBI (24). Howlett, who batted third in the order for most of the season, had a .500 slugging percentage and a .417 on-base percentage. She had 11 sacrifices and stole one base. She struck out only seven times and walled eight times. She was third in runs scored (24). She was a dependable fielder and had a .906 fielding percentage.

Rathbun, who earned honorable metion to the team in 2005, currently leads the NCAA Div. III in saves with nine. The nine saves is a single season Falcon record and is a single season record in the WIAC. The right-handed pitcher had a 3-8 record and a 1.85 ERA. She appeared in 33 games, started eight and had three complete games. She threw a complete game no-hitter on March 1 when the Falcons beat Carleton, 4-0. She combined with teammate Ashley Bertrand to pitch a combined no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Franklin & Marshall on March 13. She pitched 109.2 innings and allowed 104 hits and 50 runs. She walked only 27 and struck out 93. The 93 strikeouts are fifth all time at UWRF. Opponents hit .248 against her.

Wojnowiak, who was named to the first team in 2005, played in 37 games and started 36 times. She led the Falcons with a .359 average. She has led the team in hitting the past two seasons. She was second in runs (25) and hits (42). She was also second in doubles (11) and led the team in home runs (4). Her four homers is tied for first in a single season at UWRF. She led the team with a .556 slugging percentage and had a .400 on-base percentage, second on the team. She stole eight bases and was caught stealing only once. She led the team by being hit by a pitch three times. She finished with a .865 fielding percentage.

Rudiger, one of only four freshmen to earn honorable mention in 2006, finished second in the team in hitting with a .348 average. She played and started all 42 games for the Falcons at shortstop and hit in the lead off spot for most of the season. She led the team in at bats (135), runs scored (35) and doubles (12). The 35 runs she scored is fourth and the 12 doubles is second in a single season. She hit three home runs. She also had 18 RBI. She had a .504 slugging percentage and led the Falcons with a .417 on-base percentage. She stole seven bases and was caught stealing twice. A shortstop with great range, she had a .906 fielding percentage.

The Falcons finished 22-19-1 overall and 5-9 in the WIAC.

Go to the 2006 Falcon Statistics Page

Go to the WIAC softball web site.