Women's Softball 25-Year Team PDF
ST. LOUIS - The 2017-18 season is a landmark one for the Missouri Valley Conference and for women’s sports. To help celebrate the 45th anniversary of Title IX and the 25th anniversary of women’s sports, the Valley is naming 25-Year Anniversary Teams for each of the Valley’s sponsored women’s sports.
Team composition for each sport has been determined by a 25-person committee (two representatives from each MVC institution and a panel of five voters from the Conference office). The team composition includes years in which league teams competed under the MVC umbrella during the past 25 years (1992-2017) and does not include competition from the current season.
The Missouri Valley Conference was founded in 1907 and is the nation’s second oldest Division I athletics conference. Women’s sports were incorporated into the MVC in 1992, having previously competed under the Gateway Conference banner from 1982-92. In August 2017, the Conference announced its 2018 Hall of Fame Class, which featured three women (in the six-person class). A total of 22 women’s athletes, coaches and pioneers have been honored by the MVC as part of the Hall.
For softball, a total of 38 student-athletes were nominated, and the voting panel determined a ‘Top 10’ from a list of 25 finalists. The top 10 honorees are listed below, and the top vote-getter is denoted.
Women’s Softball (sponsorship from 1992-2018): 12 different institutions have sponsored women’s softball in the Conference during the past 25 years, including: Bradley; Creighton; Drake; Evansville; Illinois State; Indiana State; Loyola; Missouri State; Northern Iowa; Southern Illinois; Tulsa and Wichita State. Valparaiso also competes in women’s softball. Valpo joined the Conference for the 2017-18 season.
Missouri Valley Conference Women's Softball 25-Year Team
| Name |
School |
Years |
Notable Honors |
| Tara Oltman* |
Creighton |
2007-10 |
1-time NFCA All-American, 3-time MVC Most Valuable Pitcher, 1-time MVC Newcomer of the Year, 3-time All-MVC First Team, 2-time MVC All-Tournament Team |
| Renae Sinkler |
Creighton |
2007-10 |
1-time NFCA All-American Third Team, 2-time MVC Most Valuable Player, 3-time All-MVC First Team, 2-time MVC All-Tournament Team |
| Dani Tyler |
Drake |
1993-95 |
1-time MVC Newcomer of the Year, 3-time All-MVC First Team, 2-time MVC All-Tournament Team |
| Jessica Huff |
Evansville |
1998-2001 |
Easton All-America Second-Team, 2-time MVC Most Valuable Player, 3-time All-MVC First Team, 2-time MVC All-Tournament Team |
| Heather Stella |
Illinois State |
1996-99 |
2-time NFCA All-American Third Team, 2-time MVC Player of the Year, 1-time MVC Newcomer of the Year, 2-time All-Conference First Team, 1-time All-Conference Second Team |
| Kara Nelson |
Illinois State |
2007-11 |
1-time NFCA All-American Second Team, 1-time NFCA All-American Third Team, 2-time MVC Player of the Year, 4-time All-MVC First Team, 2-time MVC All-Tournament |
| Barb Gaines |
Missouri State |
1990-93 |
1-time NFCA All-American Third Team, 1-time MVC Most Valuable Player, 4-time All-MVC First Team |
| Lindsay Wood Stanford |
UNI |
1999-2002 |
1-time NFCA All-American First Team, 1-time MVC Player of the Year, 1-time MVC Newcomer of the Year, 4-time All-MVC First Team, 2-time MVC All-Tournament Team |
| Amy Harre |
Southern Illinois |
2002-05 |
1-time MVC Pitcher of the Year, 1-time MVC Newcomer of the Year, 4-time All-MVC First Team, 1-time MVC All-Tournament Team |
| Erin Stremsterfer Civey |
Southern Illinois |
1998-2001 |
1-time All-American Third Team, 1-time MVC Player of the Year, 3-time All-MVC, 2-time MVC All-Tournament Team |
*denotes No. 1 choice in balloting