LINFIELD UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL VERSUS WILLAMETTE • MAY 4, 2024

April

April

April

April

April 20 at Lewis & Clark (2) Noon

April 21 at Lewis & Clark (2) 11 a.m.

April 26 George Fox (2) 2 p.m.

April 28 George Fox (2) Noon

May 4 Willamette (2) Noon

May 5 at Willamette (2) 11 a.m.

May 10-12 NWC Tournament TBA

May 17-19 NCAA Regionals TBA

May 24-25 NCAA Super Regionals TBA

May 30-June 5 NCAA Finals TBA

Jan. 28 at Oregon TBA

Feb. 10 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

Feb. 11 Puget Sound 10 a.m.

Feb.

Feb.

Feb.

March 2 Willamette

March 3 at George Fox

March 9 Whitworth

March

March

March

March

April

April

Jan.

WELCOME TO LINFIELD UNIVERSITY

COMMUNICATIONS

Kelly Bird, Kendrick Murphy

STATISTICS

Marissa

Brian Kice

VIDEO

Joe Stuart, Emma Mulligan

GAME

Kelly Bird, Kendrick Murphy, Felipe Unker, Nathan Herde

the problem solver

Instead of finding the correct answer as quickly as possible, Kaili Saathoff relishes the process of exploring the solution

by marissa dolson ’24

Linfield University softball player Kaili Saathoff is at the top of her game athletically, academically and personally. With impressive stats and stature as one of Linfield’s leading hitters, it comes as no surprise that Saathoff has been playing softball for almost her entire life. Her parents, Bob and Kris Saathoff, enrolled her in T-ball when she was 4, she was on a tournament team at age 8, and by the time she was 10, her father was already asking her if she wanted to play in college.

“At the time it was a bit of pressure, but it was kind of exciting,” Saathoff says, looking back. Her parents have always been heavily involved in her softball career and their passion helped spark her own. She would watch college players and picture herself in their position, which she found inspiring because “as a little kid you look up to those girls.”

While Saathoff may have begun playing softball at her parents’ urging, she says the connection she has formed with it today is all her own. “Softball was basically my favorite sport growing up. I stuck with it because I enjoyed it so much.”

The duality of the sport is part of what makes it so appealing for her. “I kind of like that it is individual, but (within the context of a) team. We win and we lose as a team, but also when I’m up to bat, there’s only me. My team can cheer me on, but they can’t do everything for me.”

The excellent culture within the Linfield softball program is a large part of what drew Saathoff to McMinnville in the first place. All of her immediate family are Pacific Lutheran alumni and there was some expectation that she would follow this same path. But when Wildcats coach Jackson Vaughan reached out to Saathoff directly, that course was bound to change.

“He saw me play in a couple tournaments and was interested in having me here for a visit . . . and I was like ‘This just feels right.’ Whenever someone asks (me how I decided on Linfield), it was more of a feeling. I visited PLU. I would go on tours and my sister would show me around. But it just didn’t feel right,” Saathoff shares. In the end, her parents came to appreciate her decision to look beyond PLU, yet Bob still wears a combination of Linfield and PLU gear whenever the ’Cats play her mom and dad’s alma mater.

The much-anticipated annual series with PLU is not the only one the Saathoff family gets excited about, however. Bob and Kris attend Catball games religiously, sitting in the same row and seat every time, and they have yet to miss a game this season, home or away. This dedication makes sense when their daughter is the leadoff hitter who the whole team counts on to start the game strong.

Saathoff’s prominent position is only enhanced now that she is a veteran player who has earned a larger role in dictating the team’s culture. She handles the added authority with grace, saying “I try to be positive and keep a smile on my face.”

The extent to which Saathoff has found her place at Linfield is exemplified by her roommate and close friend Mackenzie Kulick, who says that “Kaili is the picture of dedication. Whether it be school, softball, or life, she is always giving it her all. She tackles every day with a smile and tenacity that cannot be rivaled. Her laughs are contagious, her work ethic unrivaled, and her humble kindness knows no bounds!”

Saathoff’s sister, Jessie, is 4½ years older and moved four hours away from their home in Philomath to attend PLU when Kaili was still in high school. “That was when we started getting really close. I think we kind of especially bonded because no one understands our childhood except for each other. It’s a lot of ‘Who can understand better than Jessie can?’” Kaili and Jessie are fairly set on the idea of living within reach of each other in the future so that they can continue to grow this bond.

As someone who values close relationships with classmates, especially in courses as rigorous as the ones she realized she wanted to take, Linfield’s academic community was very appealing to Kaili. “I liked math growing up and then AP Calculus my senior year was where I was like ‘This is what I want to do, this is a lot of fun for me,’” she recalls.

Saathoff came to Linfield with a plan to major in mathematics. After taking Intro to Electromagnetism her freshman year, she’s since added a physics minor. Her determined, upbeat approach to life shines through as she describes how her passion for these subjects originates from a love of the “problem-solving aspect.”

It is especially exciting for Saathoff when content overlaps between math and physics, opening her eyes to entirely new ways of understanding the world. Through her studies at Linfield, she learned to adopt a mindset of “Even if I don’t know an answer, let’s see how far I can get to find the answer,’ through problem solving and thinking through it. Rather than focusing on the correct answers, it’s more the process to getting there.”

It takes a special kind of person to have this kind of zest for life, and Saathoff’s enormous efforts and humble drive have earned her honors as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her 2½ years at Linfield and is seeing the merits of Coach Vaughan’s words when he says, “The best students tend to be some of the best athletes.”

“Growing up, my parents always told me ‘You’re a student-athlete, the student comes first.’ I focus on that, and athletics is kind of my reward . . . I’m here to be a student, I’m here to learn and then graduate and I want to go on to earn my PhD.”

AROUND THE NATION

No. 1 Salisbury won eight more games to solidify its standing atop the NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll for a third consecutive week. The Sea Gulls (34-1) head into today’s regular season-ending doubleheader with No. 7 Christopher Newport (26-5) having won their last 29 games. The two squads are undefeated in Coast-toCoast Conference play and are assured of being the top two seeds in next week’s league tournament.

The first five teams in the rankings went a combined 23-0 over the past week, including No. 2 Linfield (36-0), which extended its school-record win streak to 36 games with a four-game conference sweep of George Fox. The Wildcats’ run is also the longest string of victories in Division III this season.

No. 5 Berry (39-3) could be the first team to lock up an NCAA tournament berth this season when it plays Birmingham-Southern for the Southern Athletic Association’s automatic bid in this weekend’s best-of-three championship series. Berry, which has won 21 straight contests, swept three games played between the two teams April 6-7.

Meanwhile, seven of the next nine teams in the Top 25 are poised to open conference tournament play later this week. No. 6 Belhaven (34-4) is the second seed for the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament and will play the winner of the opening matchup between

Maryville and Agnes Scott at No. 9 Huntington (32-4), the top seed. No. 8 Randolph-Macon (29-3-2) is the second seed in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament and will host Averett in one four-team pod on Friday. No. 11 Virginia Wesleyan (30-7), the top seed in the ODAC tournament, will host Shenandoah on Friday in the other tournament pod. No. 12 Texas Lutheran (28-3) is the top seed for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament and will host the winner of the Southwestern-Centenary (La.) matchup. No. 13 Pfeiffer (38-2) and 14th-ranked Rowan (31-7) are the top seeds for the USA South and New Jersey Athletic Conference host playoff tourneys this week.

NFCA TOP 25 POLL

RANK TEAM POINTS RECORD PREVIOUS

1 Salisbury (10)

250 34-1 1

2 Linfield 240 36-0 2

3 East Texas Baptist 230 32-2 3

4 Trine

5 Berry

6 Belhaven

220 34-3 4

210 39-3 5

200 34-4 6

7 Christopher Newport 190 26-5 8

8 Randolph-Macon 180 29-3-2 7

9 Huntingdon

170 32-4 9

10 Case Western Reserve 160 31-6 10

11 Virginia Wesleyan 150 30-7 13

12 Texas Lutheran 140 28-3 12

13 Pfeiffer

130 38-2 11

14 Rowan 120 31-7 15

15 Rensselaer Polytechnic 110 29-2-1 16

16 Tufts 100 28-6 14

17 Bethel 90 25-7 17

18 Wisconsin-Oshkosh 80 32-2 19

19 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 70 28-4 20

20 Central 60 26-7 18

21 Dominican 38 33-3 25

22 Mount Union 30 31-4 NR

23 Ramapo 23 27-7 21

24 Calvin 16 26-8 24

25 Transylvania 12 27-8 23

9 BRYNN NELSON

DEL SMITH STADIUM

Del Smith Stadium has steadily evolved into a jewel among college softball facilities in the Pacific Northwest. Named in honor of trustee emeritus and longtime Linfield Athletics supporter Del Smith, the facility slowly took shape over a 30-year period.

In 1990, the softball field became a permanent, softball-only facility. Prior to the 1990 season, the softball field was also used as the Wildcats’ soccer field in the fall. At that time, the field underwent a facelift as the playing surface was moved back 25 feet from the street to allow for portable bleachers, a temporary outfield fence was installed and a single batting cage was erected.

In 1995, a substantial upgrade was undertaken which added two covered team dugouts and a home-team dressing room. In addition, a six-foot cyclone fence was installed around the field’s perimeter.

The move toward permanent seating began in 1997 when an elevated platform was constructed. Stadium lighting was added in 2001. By 2008, an all-aluminum 400-seat grandstand replaced three sets of portable bleachers, doubling seating capacity.

An enclosed pressbox replaced a makeshift plywood shelter that provided protection from the weather for statisticians and game officials. During the same period of

time, an enhanced scoreboard with capability to display each score by inning, replaced the aging model in right field.

The facility took another major step forward in 2010 with the completion of two covered and partially enclosed batting cages beyond the outfield wall.

More improvements followed in the fall of 2020. The perimeter of the field was completely encircled with mesh branding, honoring Linfield’s graduated All-Americans as well as the Wildcats’ many conference, regional and national championships. New branded padding was added to the backstop and new netting system was installed.

HEAD COACH JACKSON VAUGHAN

Jackson Vaughan has transformed the Linfield softball program into an annual national-championship contender during 23 seasons as coach. Vaughan has amassed a career record of 823-195-2, including a 50788 mark in the Northwest Conference. Over the past two decades, he has led Linfield to unprecedented success, a span that includes the 2007 and 2011 NCAA Division III national championships, nine regional titles and 16 conference crowns. Twice, in 2007 and 2011, he was honored as the Division III Coach of the Year by the NFCA and has been named NWC Coach of the Year 11 of the last 15 seasons. He was selected as the top coach in the West Region in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.

In 2004, Vaughan engineered an upset of No. 1-ranked East Texas Baptist in the

regional playoffs. In 2011, he guided the Wildcats to their second national championship and third NCAA title appearance in five seasons.

Prior to becoming head coach, he served four seasons as a Wildcats assistant softball coach. He has served as a defensive coordinator and assistant football coach for the past 25 years, helping the Wildcats amass a 188-32 record since 2000. Linfield qualified for the Division III playoffs 14 of the last 20 seasons and captured the 2004 national championship with a 13-0 record.

A native of Hereford, Oregon, Vaughan received a bachelor’s degree from Linfield in accounting in 1997, graduating with honors.

He and his wife, Shelly, live in McMinnville with their three daughters, Hallie, Reese and Finley.

MEET THE WILDCATS

TIANI WAYTON| 1

5-4 | Junior | OF Kailua, Hawaii

TAYAH KELLEY | 2 5-7 | Senior | RHP Myrtle Creek, Oregon

claire seats | 5 5-7 | Junior | OF Seattle, Washington

savannah fitzgerald| 7

5-4 | Grad Student | C Twin Falls, Idaho

cydney hess | 11 5-10 | Sophomore | 3B/1B West Linn, Oregon

sophia vandersommen|15

5-6 | Junior | OF Tigard, Oregon

ashley sutton |16 5-8 | Junior | C Monroe, Oregon

ashlyn aven | 20

5-7 | Sophomore | 3B/C Yelm, Washington

Tyler mcneley | 26

5-10 | Freshman | P Lakeview, Oregon

jacey leyvas | 8 5-7 | Junior | 1B Redlands, California

brynn nelson|9 5-6 | Junior | 2B Bonney Lake, Washington

kate kraljev| 6

5-7 | Sophomore | 3B/OF Happy Valley, Oregon

Hadley Dunham |14

5-6| Freshman | U Walla Walla, Washington

tyler warden | 25 5-10 | Senior | RHP Monroe, Oregon

Annika Dayberry| 22 5-5 | Freshman | OF Redmond, Washington

MACKENZIE BURKE | 34

5-6 | Junior | P/OF Kirlkland, Washington

Lexiss Antle| 28 5-7 | Freshman | 3B Gaston, Oregon

Sydney ries | 3 5-9 | Freshman | OF Moses Lake, Washington

KYla Cross | 4 5-4 | Sophomore | OF Bonney Lake, Washington

kaili saathoff| 17 6-0 | Junior | 1B Philomath, Oregon

hailey wadsworth| 30 5-6 | Junior | P Happy Valley, Oregon

MeAra Sain| 33 5-6 | Freshman | OF/2B Eugene, Oregon

Natalie brinda | 13 5-8 | Sophomore | SS Portland, Oregon

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER

MASTER’S DEGREES IN SPORTS SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS, BUSINESS AND NURSING

Uncommon place

Uncommon people

Find your uncommon

NO. NAME

LINFIELD WILDCATS

POS. HT. B/T YR./EL. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL

1 Tiani Wayton OF 5-4 R/R Jr./Jr. Kailua, Hawaii / Punahou

2 Tayah Kelley P 5-7 R/R Sr./Sr. Myrtle Creek, Ore. / South Umpqua

3 Sydney Ries OF 5-9 R/R Jr./Jr. Moses Lake, Wash./ Washington State U.

4 Kyla Cross OF 5-4 R/R Fr./Fr. Bonney Lake, Wash./ Bonney Lake

5 Claire Seats OF 5-7 R/R Jr./Jr. Seattle, Wash. / Bellevue

6 Kate Kraljev 3B/OF 5-7 R/R So./So. Happy Valley, Ore. / Clackamas

7 Savannah Fitzgerald C 5-4 R/R Sr./Sr. Twin Falls, Idaho / Skagit Valley C.C.

8 Jacey Leyvas 1B 5-7 R/R Jr./Jr. Redlands, Calif. / Redlands

9 Brynn Nelson

2B 5-6 R/R Jr./Jr. Bonney Lake, Wash. / Bonney Lake

11 Cydney Hess 3B/1B 5-10 R/R So./So. West Linn, Ore. / West Linn

13 Natalie Brinda SS 5-8 L/R So./So. Portland, Ore. / Franklin

14 Hadley Dunham U 5-6 L/R So./Fr. Walla Walla, Wash./ Seattle University

15 Sophia vanderSommen OF 5-6 R/R Jr./Jr. Tigard, Ore. / Tigard

16 Ashley Sutton C 5-8 R/R Jr./Jr. Monroe, Ore. / Monroe

17 Kaili Saathoff OF/1B 6-0 L/R Jr./Jr. Philomath, Ore. / Philomath

20 Ashlyn Aven

3B/1B 5-7 R/R So./So. Yelm, Wash. / Yelm

22 Annika Dayberry OF 5-5 R/R Fr./Fr. Redmond, Wash./ Eastlake

25 Tyler Warden P 5-10 R/R Sr./Jr. Monroe, Ore. / Monroe

26 Tyler McNeley P 5-10 R/R Fr./Fr. Lakeview, Ore. / Lakeview

28 Lexiss Antle 3B 5-7 R/R Fr./Fr. Gaston, Ore./ Yamhill Carlton

30 Hailey Wadsworth P 5-6 R/R Jr./Jr. Happy Valley, Ore. / La Salle Catholic

33 Meara Sain OF/2B 5-6 L/R Fr./Fr. Eugene, Ore/ Sheldon

34 Mackenzie Burke P/OF 5-6 L/L Jr./So. Kirkland, Wash. / Juanita

HEAD COACH: Jackson Vaughan (23rd year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Jamie Vasas, Amanda Knopf, Jordan Bennett, Emma Podliska

STUDENT MANAGERS: Brady Crenshaw, Jackson Pfeifer

NO. NAME

WILLAMETTE BEARCATS

1 Mia Rogers

2 Maris Pinheiro

POS. B/T

YR. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL

3B/P R/R So. Sammamish, Wash. / Skyline

C/OF L/L Fr. Tulare, Calif./ Tulare Union

3 Mia Lund OF/UT R/R Sr. Omaha, Neb. / Westside

4 Jenna Hopkins

6 Jordyn Johnson

7 Abigail Loomis

8 Desirae Hatfield

INF R/R Fr. Mt. Angel, Ore. / John F. Kennedy

P R/R Sr. Winslow, Ariz. / Winslow

P/OF R/R So. Canby, Ore. / Canby

INF R/R Fr. Salem, Ore. / South Salem

10 Harley Raymond 1B L/R Jr. Moses Lake, Wash. / Moses Lake

11 Elizabeth Durrenberger OF L/R Fr. Antioch, Calif. / Deer Valley

12 Emma Elliott OF L/L So. Battle Ground, Wash. / Battle Ground

13 Maggie Fleischmann INF R/R Fr. Fresno, Calif. / Central

14 Julia Koorn

1B/3B R/R Sr. Purmerend, Netherlands

16 Kenna Davis P/3B/SS R/R Jr. Alameda, Calif. / Alameda

18 Stella Puckett OF R/R Fr. Salem, Ore. / Sprague

19 Cora Erickson C L/L Sr. Issaquah, Was. / Issaquah

20 Maggie Sawyer UT R/R So. Boise, Idaho / Borah

21 Sophia Lucio OF L/R Sr. Martinez, Calif. / College Park

22 Brianna Majors SS/2B L/R Gr. San Diego, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic

23 Kendra Knapp OF R/R Gr. Portland, Ore. / Sunset

24 Faith Collar

1B/UT R/R Jr. Portland, Ore. / Roosevelt

25 Lauren Stube C R/R Fr. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. / Trabuco Hills

27 Karsen Angel C R/R Fr. Albany, Oregon / South Albany

55 Alexandra Richards OF L/R Jr. Bellevue, Washington / Newport

HEAD COACH: Paige Hall (fifth year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Tommy Riedman, Jennette Buchert, Allie Rude, Kelby Harding

LINFIELD VERSUS WILLAMETTE

series BREAKDOWN

THE RECORDS

13 natalie brinda

Following a four-game series sweep of George Fox last weekend, Linfield made program history by extending its current win streak to 36 straight games. The Wildcats (36-0, 24-0 NWC) clinched the Northwest Conference regular season title and the right to host the NWC tournament Friday-Sunday, May 10-12. Linfield hosts the front end of the final regular-season series with Willamette (15-17, 11-11 NWC). Linfield’s three seniors - Tayah Kelley, Tyler Warden and Savannah Fitzgerald will be honored prior to today’s first pitch.

LINFIELD AT A GLANCE

The Wildcats lead the NWC in team batting average (.379), team ERA (1.26) and fielding percentage (0.97). Tayah Kelley leads the NWC in ERA (1.06), complete games (16), innings pitched (118.1), strikeouts (183) and wins (22). Tyler McNeley is second to Kelly in ERA (1.09) and wins (14) while also ranking among the NWC leaders in strikeouts (70) and innings pitched (96.1). On offense, Brynn Nelson (.535), Kaili Saathoff (.505), Claire Seats (.411), Jacey Leyvas (.406) and Cydney Hess (.408) and are first through fifth in the conference in batting average. Hess leads the NWC in RBIs with 52 while Seats is second in the conference in home runs with 10. Saathoff (15) and Leyvas (12) are first and second in the conference in doubles.

WILLAMETTE AT A GLANCE

Willamette hits .259 as a team and owns a 3.78-team ERA. Emma Elliott leads the Bearcats in batting average at .356 with Cora Erickson the next closest at .346. Elliott also leads Willamette with seven home runs and 24 RBIs. Kenna Davis heads the Bearcat pitching staff with 10 wins and a 4.07 ERA. Behind Davis is Mia Rogers with over 20 innings pitched and a 4.74 ERA.

SERIES

HISTORY

The Wildcats are 93-23 all-time against the Bearcats. Linfield is 50-8 at home and 43-15 on the road against Willamette. The Wildcats have 11 straight against the Bearcats and average 6.56 runs per contest.

2024 LINFIELD WILDCATS

Back row (l to r): Assistant Coach Jamie Vasas, Assistant Coach Jordan Bennett, Assistant Coach Amanda Knopf, Ashlyn Aven, Sophia vanderSommen, Kaili Saathoff, Cydney Hess, Hadley Dunham, Ashley Sutton, Mackenzie Burke, Tyler McNeley, Tyler Warden, Lexiss Antle, Natalie Brinda, Kate Kraljev, Head Coach Jackson Vaughan. Front row: Assistant Coach Emma Podliska, Sydney Ries, Hailey Wadsworth, Brynn Nelson, Tayah Kelley, Savannah Fitzgerald, Kyla Cross, Claire Seats, Jacey Leyvas, Tiani Wayton, Meara Sain.

Taste the bounty of the region in unexpected ways.

Now taking reservations for our new Seasons menu celebrating the micro-seasons from our farm. Also duck into our cozy Cellar Bar for farm-inspired cocktails, our six-course tasting menu or a la carte bites.

LINFIELD SPORTS NETWORK

can’t attend the game? catch the action on the lsn

The Linfield Sports Network continues to bring fans live action of all home Linfield softball games in 2024. Fans can enjoy live and on-demand video webcasts and playby-play commentary on their computer, tablet, mobile device or Smart TV.

Live coverage begins 15 minutes prior to the start of each contest. Broadcasts include a complete postgame wrap-up with analysis and statistical breakdown.

LSN broadcasts are under the direction of the Athletics Broadcast Operations Coordinator Joe Stuart.

In his third year in the position, Stuart oversees all technical production and management of LSN broadcasts as well as providing play-by-play commentary on football, basketball, baseball and softball webcasts in addition to overseeing streaming efforts for volleyball, tennis and soccer.

All LSN broadcasts, both live and on demand, can be accessed by way of golinfieldwildcats.com/watch or through the Linfield Athletics app on mobile, tablet or smart TVs.

NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

HITTING

B. Nelson (Linfield)

K.

J.

C.

(Linfield)

K. Potter (George Fox ) .368 106 36 39 25

C. Wright (PLU) .368 106 28 39 19

C. Knepp (Pacific) .360 75 10 27 15

S. Gildersleeve (L&C) .356 90 32 32 31

H. Campanella (L&C) .352 108 21 38 28

T. Taylor (George Fox

E. Elliott (Willamette)

E. Ware (PLU) .351 94 10 33 10

Mari Alvarez (L&C) .350 100 17 35 28 Gina Ozuna (L&C) .342 120 30 41 23

C. Pope (Lewis & Clark) 2.26 0 93.0 15 70

P. Wilson (Pacific Lutheran) 2.49 0 53.1 14 42

M. O’Leary (L&C) 2.59 3 97.1 40 92

J. Johnson (Willamette) 3.01 0 83.2 27 69

R. Rhinehart (PLU) 3.35 0 85.2 35 76

E. Eastman (George Fox) 3.52 1 105.1 31 53

K. Davis (Willamette) 3.65 0 94.0 36 81

M. Lyman (Whitworth) 3.96 0 88.1 34 45

R. Treves (PLU) 4.26 0 70.2 21 30

C. Vasiloff (Whitworth) 4.33 0 119.2 38 73

E. Wilkinson (George Fox) 4.73 1 81.1 30 31

H. Colfelt (Pacific) 4.9 0 54.1 10 10

K. Espinoza (Pacific) 6.44 0 63.0 31 15

K. Saathoff.

M. Winfield (Pacific) 47 44 3 0 1.000

M. Alvarez (L&C)

S. Sandifer (George Fox)

A.

M.

As of April 30

RECENT HONORS

Junior second baseman Brynn Nelson is named the NWC’s Player of the Week for a fourth time

Linfield softball player Brynn Nelson was named Northwest Conference Softball Player Student-Athlete of the Week after her efforts in Linfield’s four-game sweep over Lewis & Clark two weeks ago. Nelson’s selection is her fourth such honor this season.

Nelson hit .540 or better in all four games and totaled five hits with at least one coming in every game. She poured in three runs, six RBIs, drew five walks and mashed two home runs.

The Bonney Lake, Wash., native leads the conference in batting average (.551), hits (49) and OPS (1.515). Nelson also ranks among the leaders in home runs (8), RBIs (36) and doubles (7).

Hawaaboo’s record-setting jump leads Division III

Season, career, school and conference records all were eclipsed by Linfield individuals competing last week at the Northwest Conference Track and Field Championships. Linfield’s Kira Hawaaboo capped an impressive NWC championship meet by being named the Women’s Outstanding Field Performer and Women’s NWC Rookie of the Year.

Hawaaboo, a sophomore from Enumclaw, Washington, set Linfield, NWC championship-meet and NWC all-time records last Friday in the long jump, soaring an NCAA Division III-leading 19 feet, 6¾ inches. The 2024 NWC heptathlon champion also competed in the high jump, the 100- and 200yard dashes, and both relay events.

1960 Barbara Olsen

Dave Cargni

1981 Ethel Gregory 9-6 5-3

1982 Jane McIlroy 3-12

1983 Jane Wahl 18-15 11-6 16-9

1984 Jane Wahl 13-18 4-11

1985 Joanne English 14-13 4-4 12-11

1986 Joanne English 20-15 7-1 1st 14-4

1987 Joanne English 14-16 6-11 3rd 16-11

1988 Joanne English 25-16 10-4 17-7

1989 Joanne English 21-19 7-9 2nd 17-9

1990 Becky Heidesch 22-18 8-8 3rd 16-8

1991 Becky Heidesch 22-14 5-9 4th 14-5

1992 Linda Kilgore 17-16-1 6-10 3rd 11-4-1

Go Wildcats!

YEAR COACH

OVERALL NWC NWC FINISH NAIA

1993 Laura Kenow 15-14 7-7 3rd 8-4

1994 Laura Kenow 24-20 9-7 3rd 8-4

1995 Laura Kenow 18-13 10-6 3rd

1996 Laura Kenow 21-12 16-4 2nd

1997 Laura Kenow 23-18 14-6 2nd

1998 Laura Kenow 20-22-1 14-9-1 3rd NCAA

1999 Laura Kenow 20-17 17-7 3rd

2000 Laura Kenow 24-10 14-7 4th 2001 Laura Kenow 24-17 14-7 2nd

2002 Jackson Vaughan 21-17 13-8 3rd 2003 Jackson Vaughan 27-11 21-5 2nd 2004 Jackson Vaughan 37-9 26-2 1st 2005 Jackson Vaughan 31-9-1 24-4 1st 2006 Jackson Vaughan 37-11 22-6 1st 4th 2007 Jackson Vaughan 45-7 26-2 1st 1st 2008 Jackson Vaughan 38-6 25-3 1st 2009 Jackson Vaughan 39-6 26-2 1st 2010 Jackson Vaughan 42-7 27-1 1st 2nd 2011 Jackson Vaughan 51-3 27-1 1st 1st 2012 Jackson Vaughan 46-7 25-3 1st 2nd 2013 Jackson Vaughan 36-8 25-3 1st 2014 Jackson Vaughan 34-9 25-3 1st 2015 Jackson Vaughan 39-15 17-11 4th 3rd 2016 Jackson Vaughan 32-16 18-10 2nd tie 2017 Jackson Vaughan 32-10 21-7 2nd 2018 Jackson Vaughan 39-10 24-4 1st tie 2019 Jackson Vaughan 39-8-1 25-3 1st 2020 Jackson Vaughan 12-2 4-0 DNF 2021 Jackson Vaughan 38-9 22-6 2nd 2022 Jackson Vaughan 38-9 25-3 1st 2023 Jackson Vaughan 46-6 27-1 1st 7th 2024 Jackson Vaughan 36-0 24-0 1st

PROUD PARTNER OF LINFIELD ATHLETICS

LINFIELD ALL-AMERICANS

NAME YEAR HONOR

Katie Harding 1997 NAIA Second Team

Shelly Steinke 2006 NFCA Third Team

Jenny Marshall 2007 NFCA First Team

Stephanie Rice 2007 NFCA Third Team

Jenny Marshall 2008 NFCA First Team

Stephanie Rice 2008 NFCA First Team

Brittany Miller 2008 NFCA Second Team

Brittany Miller 2009 NFCA First Team

Staci Doucette 2009 NFCA First Team

Alex Hartmann 2009 NFCA Third Team

Emily Keagbine 2009 NFCA Third Team

Staci Doucette 2010 NFCA First Team

Karleigh Prestianni 2010 NFCA First Team

Alex Hartmann 2010 NFCA Third Team

Emily Keagbine 2010 NFCA Third Team

Staci Doucette 2011 NFCA First Team

Emilee Lepp 2011 NFCA First Team

Emily Keagbine 2011 NFCA First Team

Kayla Hubrich 2011 NFCA First Team

Karleigh Prestianni 2011 NFCA Second Team

NAME YEAR HONOR

Claire Velaski 2011 NFCA Third Team

Emilee Lepp 2012 NFCA First Team

Karleigh Prestianni 2012 NFCA First Team

Staci Doucette 2012 NFCA First Team

Karina Paavola 2012 NFCA Third Team

Karleigh Prestianni 2013 NFCA First Team

Lisa Yamamoto 2013 NFCA First Team

Erin Carson 2013 NFCA Second Team

Ashley Garcia 2014 NFCA First Team

Karina Paavola 2014 NFCA Third Team

Melanie Oord 2016 NFCA Second Team

Cheyenne Fletcher 2017 NFCA Second Team

Melanie Oord 2018 NFCA Third Team

Makenna Clizer 2019 NFCA Third Team

Katie Phillips 2022 NFCA First Team

Tayah Kelley 2022 NFCA Second Team

Katie Phillips 2023 NFCA First Team

Tayah Kelley 2023 NFCA First Team

Claire Seats 2023 NFCA Second Team

Kaili Saathoff 2023 NFCA Second Team

THE TOPCAT CLUB

The Linfield University TopCat Club serves as a support organization to the 21 NCAA Division III varsity sports teams and the more than 500 students who participate in athletics each year. Each year, support from the TopCat Club is essential to maintaining and expanding each of these programs.

The mission of the TopCat Club is to provide students with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the overall Linfield athletics program.

At Linfield, we continually strive to improve programs and facilities so that our teams may compete at the highest level. Roughly 75 percent of the athletic department’s annual operating budget comes from the university’s general fund. The remainder is generated through a wide variety of external sources, including annual gifts to the Linfield TopCat Club.

To learn more about giving opportunities, please visit the TopCat Club website at www.linfieldtopcat.com