LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Elon softball outfielders Carleigh Nester and Tomeka Watson were selected to the 2013 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Mideast All-Region First Team as announced by the association on Thursday, May 16. The duo grabbed two of the three outfield spots on the first team as Elon had multiple members of the program selected the All-Region First Team for the first time since 2010.
Watson added her third career first team All-Region honor to an already impressive laundry list of accolades from this season. The Jackson, Ga., native was selected to the 2013 All-Southern Conference First Team last week and was recognized as the Elon Athletics’ Basnight Female Athlete of the Year on Monday, May 6, for her record-breaking senior campaign. Watson led the SoCon in five different categories, including batting average (.419), slugging percentage (.768), on-base percentage (.511), hits (65) and stolen bases (25). She became the program’s all-time career leader in home runs, hits, RBI, runs scored and slugging percentage this season while establishing the single-season home run record with 14 on the year. She tied an NCAA Division I softball record with six consecutive games with a home run in the month of February and was rewarded as the SoCon’s Player of the Month.
Nester earned her first NFCA All-Region honor after a stellar junior season. The Kernersville, N.C., native joined Watson on the All-SoCon First Team after ranking among the top-five in the league in batting average (.370), slugging percentage (.660), doubles (14), home runs (11) and total bases (107). Nester tied a NCAA Division I softball single-game record with three doubles in a contest at SoCon regular-season champion Appalachian State on April 7, and was selected as the conference’s Player of the Month for April.
The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each respective region and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to one of three 2013 NFCA Division I All-American teams.
The 2013 NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced at 4 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, May 29, via NFCA.org.
Mideast Region First Team
Pos. Name School P Sara Nevins University of South Florida P Hanna Mennenga Eastern Illinois University C Elizabeth Kay Illinois State University 1B Laura Canopy Illinois State University 2B Carly Willert Eastern Illinois University 3B Alex McDavid Southern Illinois University Edwardsville SS Kourtney Salvarola University of South Florida OF Tomeka Watson Elon University OF Carleigh Nester Elon University OF Whitney Fletcher University of Alabama at Birmingham UT/P Madeline Lynch-Crumrine Bradley University UT/Non-P Katelyn Bedwell University of North Carolina at Greensboro