Salem Native Katie Fleer Wins Two GNAC Awards

Fleer set a WOU school record this year with 18 wins (18-5) and led the GNAC with a 1.47 ERA and 165 strikeouts.

WOU's Katie Fleer was selected as the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, and she also shared the Co-Pitcher of the Year honors with Seattles Erin Martin. Photo courtesy: WOU Athletics

MONMOUTH, Ore. - Western Oregon softball coach Pam Knox was named Coach of the Year and WOU's Katie Fleer was named the Co-Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

The Wolves, who open play at the NCAA Division II west region championships on Wednesday (9 a.m.) against Cal State Monterey Bay, also had three players named to the first team. Western Oregon shared the conference title this year with Seattle University.

Knox was a near-unanimous selection for the coach of the year honor, her first. She led the Wolves to their first-ever conference title and inaugural NCAA playoff berth. She is in her sixth season at Western Oregon and her 14th as a college head coach. She has a career record of 331-306.

Fleer, a 6-2 righthander from Salem, sat out last season after playing two years at Chemeketa CC. She set a WOU school record this year with 18 wins (18-5) and led the GNAC with a 1.47 ERA and 165 strikeouts. She was selected as the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, and she also shared the Co-Pitcher of the Year honors with Seattles Erin Martin.

The Wolves had three first team selections: Sophomore shortstop Tyler Sutherland, Fleer and redshirt freshman outfielder Jessica Hallmark. Sutherland (Gold Hill, Ore.), who is hitting .356 and has only four errors all season, is a repeat first team selection. Hallmark, from Salem's Sprague High School, was on fire at the plate over the last half of the season and carries a team-best .381 average into the playoffs. She also leads the team in home runs (6) and RBI (28).

All-GNAC second team picks include senior third baseman Trina Dorn (Henderson, Nev.) and sophomore outfielder Whitney Lee (Salem/North Salem HS). Dorn is a four-time All-GNAC selection as a first, second or honorable mention member. Lee is hitting .310 this season and leads the Wolves with 12 doubles.

On the honorable mention list is first baseman Amanda Fleer (Salem/McKay HS), Kristin Maglasang (Vancouver, Wash./Heritage HS) and Jamie Becker (Salem/West Salem HS).

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