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South Easton, Mass. – Le Moyne College senior Jennifer Farrelly (Latham, N.Y.) was named the 2009 Northeast-10 Softball Player of the Year as voted by the conference’s head coaches.

Farrelly helped lead Le Moyne to its third straight Northeast-10 Regular Season title as the Dolphins finished conference play with a 24-4 record. She currently leads the team with a .388 batting average, which is fourth best in the NE-10. Farrelly has driven in a conference best 41 runs while recording 47 hits, 12 doubles, eight homeruns and 26 runs. In the pitching circle she has compiled a 16-4 record as she ranks third in the NE-10 in wins and is ranked fourth in earned run average (1.24) and opposing batting average (.184). In 141 innings of work, Farrelly has struck out 120 batters. In addition, she was named to the All-Northeast-10 First Team.

University of New Haven junior Breanne Gleason (Bristol, Conn.) was selected the 2009 Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year. Gleason has been the anchor of the Chargers’ pitching staff as she has compiled a conference best 271 innings pitched. She ranks first in the conference with 28 victories and has struck nearly 300 batters this season (293). Gleason ranks among the NCAA Division II leaders in wins and ERA. At the plate, she is hitting .254 with 36 hits, six homeruns and has driven in 24 runs. Gleason was also named to the All-Northeast-10 First Team. Last year she received All-East Coast Conference Second Team honors.

Bentley University freshman Jasmine Ortiz (Hamden, Conn.) was named the 2009 Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year. In her first year of collegiate action, Ortiz finished with a .341 batting average to go along with 44 hits, seven doubles, 12 RBI and 30 runs. In the field, Ortiz committed only four errors all season for a .969 fielding percentage. In addition, she was also named to the All-Northeast-10 Third Team and All-Rookie Team.

Merrimack College head coach Elaine Schwager was voted the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year by her peers. In her fourth year at Merrimack, Schwager guided the Warriors to an 18-10 conference record to finish as the fourth seed in this year’s NE-10 Championships. Merrimack is currently 26-17.

With 15 member institutions the Northeast-10 is the second largest NCAA Division II athletic conference in the nation. Its 23 championship sports provide athletic opportunities for over 5,500 student-athletes, the largest such program of any Division II conference.

- NE-10 -

2009 Northeast-10 All Conference Teams

First Team
Jenna Vanacore, Le MOyne
Breanne Gleason, New Haven
Nicole Downs, New Haven
Jill Gagnon, Merrimack
Kelly Schweikert, Le Moyne
Kelsey Ellis, Merrimack
Alex Hitchcock, Bentley
Stacey Lajoie, UMass Lowell
Christina Pane, Pace
Ashley Harkins, Saint Michael's
Jennifer Farrelly, Le Moyne

Second Team
Kiryl Shada, Pace
Kelsey Griffin, So. New Hampshire
Caitlin O'Neil, Le Moyne
Patricia Hurley, Pace
Michelle Franey, American Int'l
Ashley Bilodeau, Assumption
Marissa Palumbo, Assumption
Bailey Phillips, Le Moyne
Danielle Vangorder, Le Moyne
Nicole Arpin, So. New Hampshire
Ashley Bernstein, So. New Hampshire

Third Team
Kristen Dolan, American Int'l
Nicole Welch, Saint Rose
Amanda Morano, Saint Rose
Megan O'Connor, Saint Michael's
Meghan Sheehy, Stonehill
Jasmine Ortiz, Bentley
Megan Caporossi, So. Connecticut
Kate Theodorou, Saint Anselm
Katelyn Billings, Saint Michael's
Karissa Bettencourt, So. New Hampshire
Kate Brides, Stonehill
Kerry Iacomini, So. Connecticut

All-Rookie Team
Sarah Calgreen, American Int'l
Kristen Dolan, American Int'l
Jennifer Lowrey, Assumption
Jasmine Ortiz, Bentley
Barbara Shea, Le Moyne
Nicole Schultheis, Pace
Morgan Murphy, Saint Anselm