Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Alison Ford Voted Patriot League Softball Player of the Year
5/10/2011 8:00:00 AM | Softball
May 10, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell softball's Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) was named the Patriot League Player of the Year and a First Team All-Patriot League selection on Tuesday, wrapping up a one of the best all-around seasons by a Bison in recent history. Ford, who led the Patriot League in hitting and on-base percentage, becomes Bucknell's fourth Player of the Year and the first since 2005.
Bucknell has now had at least one First Team All-Patriot League selection in each of the last eight seasons, while the Player of the Year accolade is the team's first since Lauren Wible in 2005. Ford also joins Lisa Fink (1993) and Jenny Snyder (1999) as the top vote-getter for Player of the Year.
Now a two-time all-league honoree, Ford was also a first-team selection as a utility player following her sophomore campaign. In 2011, the senior made the team as a third baseman while hitting a league-best .434 in conference action. She also registered the Patriot League's top mark in on-base percentage (.516) and ranked among the top 10 in slugging percentage (.755), hits (23), home runs (4), RBI (17) and walks (9).
Ford, who despite the major postseason award has never been named a Patriot League Player of the Week during the year, set career highs in a number of categories this spring. Her .408 batting average is eighth in program annals, while her 58 hits, 12 doubles and 22 walks are also among Bucknell's single-season top 10. By the end of the season, the team co-captain had set a career high on the base paths as well, going a team-best 10-for-11 in stolen bases as well.
An early childhood education major who was named to the Capital One Academic All-District First Team last week and is now up for Academic All-America honors, Ford will graduate with some of the top career marks in program history. After her standout senior campaign, she is second in runs batted in (98), third in home runs (14), seventh in doubles (31) and games played (178), eighth in hits (159) and 10th in batting average (.331).
Joining Ford in receiving a major award was the Pitcher of the Year Rachel LeCoq and Rookie of the Year Tera Vaughn of Colgate. Holy Cross' Brian Claypool was voted Patriot League Coach of the Year.
All-league teams and major awards are decided by a vote of Patriot League head coaches who cannot vote for their own athletes.
The league will continue to announce postseason honors tomorrow with the release of the Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Academic All-Patriot League Team.
Player of the Year - Alison Ford, Bucknell, Sr.
Pitcher of the Year - Rachel LeCoq, Colgate, Fr.
Rookie of the Year - Tera Vaughn, Colgate, Fr.
Coach of the Year - Brian Claypool, Holy Cross
First Team All-Patriot League
1B - Julie Fernandez, Lehigh, Jr.
2B - Alex Reynolds, Army, So.
3B - Alison Ford, Bucknell, Sr.
SS - Jen Colquhoun, Lehigh, Jr.
OF - Amanda Nguyen, Army, Fr.
OF - Tera Vaughn, Colgate, Fr.
OF - Keeley Seniuk, Holy Cross, Sr.
C - Liz Lucas, Lehigh, So.
UT - Stacey Kushner, Lafayette, Sr.
DP - Sam Fregenti, Holy Cross, So.
P - Rachel LeCoq, Colgate, Fr.
P - Rebecca Bliss, Lehigh, So.
Second Team All-Patriot League*
1B - Gwen Reimer, Holy Cross, Jr.
2B - Caitlin Belanger, Holy Cross, Sr.
3B - Stephanie Hartquist, Colgate, Jr.
SS - Tiffany Medwid, Holy Cross, Sr.
OF - Alana Dyson, Colgate, So.
OF - Audra Wood, Lehigh, Jr.
OF - Carly Potock, Lehigh, Sr.
C - Nicole Siedhof, Colgate, Sr.
P - Melissa Robinson, Lafayette, Fr.
P - Courtney O'Connell, Colgate, So.
P - Haley Pypes, Army, Fr.
* - Second Team has three pitchers because of ties in the voting.
