Oct. 6, 2000

EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The 1999-2000 Lafayette College softball team was recently recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex as one of the top academic Division I schools in the nation, boasting a team cummulative grade point average of 3.133 during the 1999-2000 academic year. Lafayette is ranked 29th among Division I softball programs earning All-Academic team honors and is the only Patriot League school represented in the top 50 on the list which was announced Sept. 25.

Louisiana Tech averaged the highest mark in Division I competition last season with a 3.571 team average.

Lafayette announced last week that four members of the 1999-2000 squad were recognized as NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes for maintaining a grade-point average of 3.5 or above last season. Pitcher Erin Hall '00, catcher Gina Galati '01, shortstop Mara Shaineit '03 and pitcher Kathy Vassos '03 were presented with the prestigious honor on Sept. 12.

The Leopards are coming off of a third-place finish in the Patriot League last season with a record of 4-6, a tremendous improvement from their sixth place finish in 1999. The Leopards' head coach John Wong was recognized by the league for the turnaround, being named the 1999-2000 Patriot League Coach of the Year.

The 2001 softball team debuts this spring on March 13 at North Carolina A&T. This season's schedule is packed with high-caliber competition in non-league opponents Penn, Columbia, Rider and Villanova, as well as league foes Holy Cross, Colgate, Army, Bucknell and Lehigh.