2017 CCIW All-Conference Softball Team

PICTURED: Millikin's Kailey Lyons and Carthage's Katie Herron

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced the 2017 All-Conference Softball Team on Monday.
 
The all-conference team, selected by the CCIW’s head softball coaches, includes 30 student-athletes (16 first team members, 14 second team members) representing all nine conference institutions.
 
Millikin freshman outfielder Kailey Lyons (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) won CCIW Player of the Year honors after batting .414 (24-for-58) with 13 runs, six RBI, two doubles and six walks in 16 conference games this season. She’s the first Big Blue player since Laura Tolone in 1995 to earn this award.
 
Carthage senior Katie Herron (Brookyln Park, Minn./Champlin Park) was named the CCIW Pitcher of the Year, the first Lady Reds pitcher to win the award since Krystina Leazer from 2011-2013. Herron was 7-0 with a 0.59 ERA and tallied 47 strikeouts in 10 CCIW appearances this season.
 
Carroll freshman pitcher Amanda Osterhus (Munster, Ind./H.S.) claimed CCIW Newcomer of the Year distinction as she totaled 75 strikeouts in nine CCIW appearances. She was also third in the conference with a 1.38 ERA.
 
Wheaton sophomore infielder Kelly Thornton (Carol Stream, Ill./Wheaton North) was the CCIW’s batting champion as she led with a .458 average (22-for-48) in 16 conference games this season.
 
Millikin, under the direction of head coach Katie Tenboer and assistant Whitney Sowers, earned CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year honors after the Big Blue won their first CCIW regular season title since 2011.
 
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2015-16 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,600 academic all-conference recipients, 14 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 36 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients and over 100 all-Americans.