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MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Amanda Fischer and UW-Oshkosh’s Sara Brunlieb were selected the Position Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, to lead the individuals chosen to the 2015 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Softball Team by the league coaches.  In addition, UW-Whitewater’s Brenda Volk was picked the Coach of the Year.
 
Fischer also claimed the Position Player of the Year honor in 2013 and is the third individual in WIAC archives to receive the accolade twice, joining UW-Stevens Point’s Kelly Rutta (2000 and 2001) and UW-La Crosse’s Jenna Ahnen (2010 and 2011).  Fischer secured first team recognition for the fourth consecutive year and is the program’s fourth four-time All-WIAC first team selection.
 
She currently leads the WIAC with a .440 batting average, .525 on-base percentage, 59 hits, 12 home runs, 44 RBI, 49 runs scored and 29 stolen bases, while ranking second with a .806 slugging percentage and four triples.  She recorded at least one hit in 31 of 42 games, including 21 multi-hit performances - with a season-high four hits against Millikin University (Ill.) on March 20. 
 
Brunlieb is the second individual in program history to receive the pitching honor, joining Ronessa Stampfli, who was a four-time winner of the award (2005-08).  Brunlieb leads the league with 21 victories, while ranking second with 159.0 innings pitched.  She appeared in 30 games and compiled 106 strikeouts with a 2.03 earned run average.  Brunlieb allowed one earned run or less in 12 contests and recorded at least five strikeouts in 10 games, including a season-high 10 strikeouts at UW-La Crosse on April 26.
 
Repeat selections on the first team from a season ago included:  UW-Eau Claire’s Taylor Pierce; UW-La Crosse’s Megan Nelson; UW-Oshkosh’s Haley Bayreuther, Katie Koepsel and Hayden Krueger; UW-Platteville’s Lisa Karau; UW-River Falls’ Abbie Morris; UW-Stout’s Tori Workman (Pitcher of the Year); and UW-Whitewater’s Jo Jablonski. 
 
Koepsel, Krueger and Morris were also first team picks in 2013, along with UW-Stevens Point’s Jordon Schreiner and UW-Whitewater’s Bekka Houda.  Pierce and Koepsel claimed first team laurels in 2012.
 
Volk secured the coaching honor for the fifth time in her career (1999, 2000, 2008, 2009) after directing the squad to the WIAC tournament crown and a share of the WIAC regular-season title.  The Warhawks own a 36-7 record heading into regional action of the NCAA Division III Championship.
 
An All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season.  It included one member from each school.
 
2015 All-WIAC Softball Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Casey Arnold, Eau Claire, Senior, Catcher, Kaukauna, Wis.
Haley Bayreuther, Oshkosh, Junior, Shortstop, Janesville, Wis. (Craig)
Lauren Blasczyk, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Appleton, Wis. (East)
Sara Brunlieb, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Deven DuCharme, Whitewater, Senior, Outfield, Hudson, Wis.
Alecia Faber, La Crosse, Junior, Catcher, Waterford, Wis. (Union Grove)
Amanda Fischer, Eau Claire, Senior, Thirdbase, Wausau, Wis. (West)
Kristen Haider, Superior, Senior, Thirdbase, Dassel, Minn. (Dassel-Cokato)
Emily Holldorf, La Crosse, Junior, Leftfield, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Bekka Houda, Whitewater, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher, Lisle, Ill.
Jo Jablonski, Whitewater, Senior, Shortstop, Palatine, Ill.
Lisa Karau, Platteville, Senior, Shortstop, Mosinee, Wis.
Mallory Klotz, Whitewater, Freshman, Outfield, New Berlin, Wis. (West)
Katie Koepsel, Oshkosh, Senior, Catcher/Firstbase, Oak Creek, Wis.
Hayden Krueger, Oshkosh, Junior, Secondbase/Outfield, Bristol, Wis. (Westosha Central)
Abbie Morris, River Falls, Senior, Utility, Woodbury, Minn.
Megan Nelson, La Crosse, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher/Rightfield, Zumbrota, Minn. (Zumbrota-Mazeppa)
Taylor Pierce, Eau Claire, Senior, Designated Player, Ashwaubenon, Wis.
Jordon Schreiner, Stevens Point, Senior, Rightfield, Kaukauna, Wis.
Katie Thompson, River Falls, Sophomore, Outfield, Baldwin, Wis. (Baldwin-Woodville)
Tori Workman, Stout, Junior, Righthanded Pitcher/Centerfield, Prior Lake, Minn.
 
Honorable Mention
Paige Allen, Stevens Point, Freshman, Leftfield, South Elgin, Ill.
Brittany Baldwin, La Crosse, Freshman, Centerfield, Stoddard, Wis. (La Crosse Central)
Erika Berry, Oshkosh, Freshman, Thirdbase, Germantown, Wis.
Paige Evangelista, Whitewater, Senior, Catcher, Wheaton, Ill. (North)
Katie Klein, La Crosse, Freshman, Righthanded Pitcher, DeForest, Wis.
Brooke Lauritzen, River Falls, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher/Firstbase, Pulaski, Wis.
Shelly Misco, Superior, Junior, Shortstop, Appleton, Wis. (North)
Carley Rote, Platteville, Junior, Utility, McConnell, Ill. (Orangeville)
Kelynn Sporer, Whitewater, Senior, Righthanded Pitcher/Outfield, Chilton, Wis.
Emilie Wiltzius, La Crosse, Junior, Firstbase, Cudahy, Wis.
Taylor Workman, Stout, Senior, Firstbase/Designated Player, Prior Lake, Minn.
 
All-Sportsmanship Team
Kelli Anderson, La Crosse, Senior, Thirdbase/Catcher, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
Jess Butzen, Platteville, Sophomore, Righthanded Pitcher, Neenah, Wis.
Paige Evangelista, Whitewater, Senior, Catcher, Wheaton, Ill. (North)
Lynzi Knudtson, Stout, Senior, Shortstop, Melrose, Wis. (Melrose-Mindoro)
Emily Mallek, Oshkosh, Senior, Outfield, Plover, Wis. (SPASH)
Kelsey Meredith, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Infield/Outfield, Golden Valley, Minn. (Armstrong)
Megan Nelson, Superior, Junior, Infield, Carlton, Minn.
Maddie Sawdey, Stevens Point, Senior, Infield, Medford, Wis.
Sarah Sorensen, River Falls, Junior, Infield, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
 
Position Player of the Year:  Amanda Fischer of Eau Claire
Pitcher of the Year:  Sara Brunlieb of Oshkosh
Coach of the Year:  Brenda Volk of Whitewater
Judy Kruckman Co-Scholar-Athletes:  Jo Jablonski of Whitewater and Laura Raflik of Eau Claire

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Laura Raflik and UW-Whitewater’s Jo Jablonski have been named co-recipients of the 2015 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy Kruckman Softball Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
A native of Plover, Wis. (Pacelli), Raflik graduated Summa Cum Laude in 3.5 years - maintaining a 3.94 grade point average.  She majored in actuarial science with a minor in information systems.  Raflik earned a spot on the Softball Academic All-District® First Team as selected by CoSIDA in 2014, and is a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar-Athlete.  She is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor and appeared on UW-Eau Claire Dean’s List numerous semesters. 
 
A team captain, Raflik secured All-WIAC first team recognition a season ago and led the team with a 2.52 earned run average and 91.2 innings pitched. She was a member of the 2012 and 2013 squads that won the WIAC regular-season title and reached the NCAA Division III Championship.
 
Raflik was a four-year member of UW-Eau Claire’s Actuarial Club and two-year leader of the campus’ Athletes in Action program.  She has volunteered at UW-Eau Claire’s Softball Clinics, The Community Table and Special Olympics.  Working part-time during the season at Humana Inc., Raflik will assume full-time employment as an actuarial analyst after completing her last year of softball eligibility.
 
Jablonski, a senior from Palatine, Ill., is majoring in elementary education with a minor in Spanish education and sustains a 3.86 grade point average.  She was named to the Softball Academic All-District® First Team as selected by CoSIDA in 2014, and is a three-year NFCA Scholar-Athlete.  Jablonski has been selected to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll the last three years and recognized on UW-Whitewater’s Dean’s List numerous semesters.
 
A two-time All-WIAC first team selection, Jablonski was selected to the NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team a season ago.  She was a member of last year’s team that finished third at the NCAA Division III Championship and has helped the Warhawks claim two straight conference regular-season titles and three consecutive tournament crowns.  Jablonski owns a spot in the WIAC record book for career homeruns and walks, as well as homeruns in a season and game.
 
A member of Sigma Alpha Lambda, Jablonski is also a four-year participant on the conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).  She was voted President of UW-Whitewater’s SAAC for the 2014-15 academic year and assisted in the implementation of the Warhawk Leadership Academy.  Jablonski has volunteered with Reading with the Warhawks, Make A Difference Day, Food Drive and W3 Wellness Day. 
 
UW-River Falls’ Kathryn Stodolka (Sr., Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy) and UW-Stout’s Lynzi Knudtson (Sr., Melrose, Wis./Melrose-Mindoro) were also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award.
 
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment, she was Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) from October, 1984 - September, 1996. Kruckman was the women's athletics director at UW-Eau Claire from 1974-84, and one of the original representatives to the WWIAC when it formed in 1971.

In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average.  In addition, she must be in her last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.