May 7, 1999
HARTFORD, Conn. – The Notre Dame softball team, which finished with a perfect 16-0 record in regular season play, swept the Big East player of the year awards at the conference’s annual banquet Friday night.
Irish shortstop Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.) was named Player of the Year, sophomore pitcher Jennifer Sharron (Agora Hills, Calif.) picked up her second straight Pitcher of the Year award and freshman third baseman Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan. won Rookie of the Year. The three awards marked the first time that one school has swept all three player of the year awards since 1992’s Connecticut, the only other team to go undefeated during the regular season.
| Pitcher Jennifer Sharron |
In addition to the three player awards, the Irish also had six players named to the Big East first team, the most ever by any Notre Dame squad and the most for any school since Connecticut had eight selected in 1993. Making the 12-member first team for the Irish was Sharron, one of two unanimous selections, Alkire, catcher Kris McCleary (Westerville, Ohio), first baseman Amy Laboe (Munroe, Mich.) and outfielders Jennifer Kriech (Indianapolis) and Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.)
Notre Dame also had three other players honored at the banquet. Senior pitcher Angela Bessolo (Lakewood, Calif.) was the team’s lone representative on the Big East’s second team, while Kriech and Myers, a unanimous choice, were both selected to the five-player Big East all-rookie team.
| Third baseman Jarrah Myers |
Top-seeded Notre Dame faces off with fourth-seeded Connecticut in the first game of a the double elimination Big east Tournament in Storrs, Conn. at 10 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday May 8. Second-seed Seton Hall and third-seed Boston College face off in the second game of the tournament at 12 p.m. Competition is slated to finish on Sunday, May 9.
1999 BIG EAST AWARD WINNERS
Player of the Year: Melanie Alkire, Notre Dame
Pitcher of the Year: Jennifer Sharron, Notre Dame
Rookie of the year: Jarrah Myers, Notre Dame
Coach of the Year: Ray Vander May, Seton Hall
ALL BIG EAST (first team)
P Mary Dietz, Boston CollegeP Jennifer Sharron, Notre Dame*C Kris McCleary, Noter DameIF Melanie Alkire, Notre DameIF Amy Laboe, Notre DameIF Vickie Lamb, Seton HallIF Jessica Yanosy, ConnecticutOF Allyson Johnson, ConnecticutOF Jennifer Kriech, Notre DameOF Lizzy Lemire, Notre DameU Juliette Brooks, Rutgers*DP Regina Speicher, Villanova
ALL BIG EAST (second team)
P Misty Beaver, Seton HallP Angela Besselo, Notrte DameC Angie Catalano, Rutgers IF Kelly Crosson, RutgersIF Abbie Link, ConnecticutIF Jennifer Murray, Boston CollegeIF Jackie Pasquerella, VillanovaOF Jamie-Lyn Chmielowicz, RutgersOF Lauren Fisher, St. John's OF Kristen Verhoff, VillanovaU Summer Jarratt, Boston CollegeDP Megan Biddle, Connecticut
BIG EAST (all-rookie team)
Lisa Girolamo (Connecticut)Kim Jackson (Seton Hall)Jennifer Kriech (Notre Dame)Katie Mitchell (Pittsburgh)Jarrah Myers (Notre Dame)*
*Unanimous selection