OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — All-American Britni Sneed and Trena Peel were named two of 25 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, as announced by the Amateur Softball Association.
Sneed and Peel were the only players from the Southeastern Conference named to the list and LSU was one of only six schools to have multiple representatives among the finalists.
A first-team All-America selection in 2001, Sneed leads the SEC in strikeouts and ranks eighth in NCAA history in career strikeouts. This season the senior from Houston, Texas, has posted a 17-5 record and is 11-1 in the SEC.
Peel was a second-team All-South Region in 2001 and leads the team in batting average this season. The senior from Aurora, Colo., broke the LSU single-season record for triples and is one shy of the SEC single season record with 10.
The Player of the Year Award is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
The list will be reduced to ten players May 3rd, and three finalists will be announced May 31st. The winner of the 2002 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced June 7th. The winner will be recognized and presented with the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year trophy during the ASA National Council Meeting in Reno, Nevada, in November.
A replica of the award will be placed in a permanent display in the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, along with photos of the winner. An additional replica of the award will be presented to the player’s academic institution.
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of amateur softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. As the National Governing Body, the ASA is responsible for identifying, selecting and training male and female athletes to compete in World, Pan American and Olympic competitions.
The finalists include:
Jennie Finch, University of Arizona
Lovie Jung, University of Arizona
Leneah Manuma, University of Arizona
Kara Brun, Arizona State
Phelan Wright, Arizona State
Oli Keohohou, BYU
Jocelyn Forest, University of California-Berkeley
Gina Oaks, Cal State Fullerton
Jenny Topping, Cal State Fullerton
Nicole Myers, Florida Atlantic
Jamie Southern, Fresno State
Alana Addison, Louisiana Lafayette
Trena Peel, LSU
Britni Sneed, LSU
Kelsey Kollen, University of Michigan
Peaches James, University of Nebraska
Christina Enea, University of Oklahoma
Sarah Beeson, Stanford University
Jessica Mendoza, Stanford University
Catherine Osterman, University of Texas
Jaime Clark, University of Washington
Amanda Freed, UCLA
Keira Goerl, UCLA
Stacey Nuveman, UCLA
Natasha Watley, UCLA