STARKVILLE, MS - The UW-Eau Claire softball team had five members named to the 2006 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Great Lakes Region team with three members earning first team accolades it was announced recently by the NFCA.

Receiving first team honors were pitcher Mallory McKinney (Jr.-Brooklyn Park, MN/Champlin Park), first baseman Jill Janke (So.-Black River Falls, WI), and outfielder Rachel Paulus (Jr.-Wisconsin Rapids, WI/Lincoln). Second team honors went to shortstop Casey Leisgang (So.-Seymour, WI), while third baseman Mandy Tschernach (Jr.-Rice Lake, WI) was named to the third team.

McKinney receives all-region honors for the third straight year, as she was a first team member in 2004 and second team member last season. This season McKinney has bested the school single season strikeout record of 134 with 162 and she has topped the career strikeout record of 343 with 387.

She has an ERA of 0.54, which is fifth best in the nation and has thrown a school-record 12 shutouts this year. Earlier this season, McKinney went 61 consecutive innings without giving up a run. McKinney is also tied for school-record for wins in a season with 24.

Janke earns first team all-region honors for the second consecutive year. She was fourth in the WIAC with a .478 on-base percentage, fifth with a .588 slugging percentage, sixth with 16 walks and eighth with 27 runs batted in. She also has a .997 fielding percentage, committing just one error this season at first base.

Paulus earns her first all-region accolade. She led the WIAC with 16 stolen bases, while ranking fifth with 52 hits and eighth with a .400 batting average.

Shortstop Casey Leisgang received second team all-region honors for the second year in a row. Leisgang broke the team's single season record for home runs in a season with 11. She led the WIAC in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, runs scored and total bases.

Mandy Tschernach was named to the third team. Tschernach has a .900 fielding percentage at third base for the Blugolds this year. Tschernach is also fourth on the team in batting with a .363 average.

Complete All-Region selections

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