University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHER SOFTBALL ANNOUNCES 2002 RECRUITS
8/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Minnesota softball staff also announced the names of two other softball players who have committed to attend Minnesota as recruited non-scholarship athletes: Jennifer Shonkwiler (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) and Katie Wesp (Anoka, Minn./Anoka).
"We look for these talented first-year athletes to compete for starting positions immediately," said Minnesota co-head softball coach Lisa Bernstein. "They are young and aggressive, and know what it is to work hard, play smart, and win."
Keeney is a three-year letterwinner in softball at Burnsville High School. Playing second base, she was named all-state by the Pioneer Press in her senior season. Keeney also earned letters in tennis and basketball at Burnsville, and was captain of all three teams during her senior season.
Peyer was the Star Tribune's 2000 Metro Softball Player of the Year and the 2000 Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year in softball. The Minnetonka ace was a four-time all-conference, four-time all-section and three-time all-metro selection. She helped lead the Skippers to two Minnesota Class AA softball championships, striking out 1,121 batters in her four-year career. The four-year letterwinner was named the 2001 Minnetonka High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was an all-state academic award winner. Peyer played summer softball with the Minnesota Blizzard.
Sward was a two-time all-conference and a two-time all-region selection at North St. Paul High School. She was also named to the honorable mention all-state team as a senior. This past summer, she played her summer softball with the St. Paul Rookies, a team that advanced to the national tournament. The previous two years, Sward played her summer softball with the Stillwater Ponies.
Wallace is a four-year letterwinner and a four-year Sea View all- conference pick at Aliso Niguel High School. Starting at shortstop, she helped lead her team to two conference titles. She also played two years of volleyball and was the team's captain in her senior season. Wallace is a former member of the Orange County Batbusters and played summer softball in 2001 for the Southern California Belles.
Shonkwiler was a six-time letterwinner at Pewaukee High School, earning four letters in softball and two letters in volleyball. In softball, she was a two-time captain of her team, a two-time honorable mention all-conference selections and helped her team place second in the Parkland Conference during her senior season. She played summer softball for the New Berlin X-plosion in 2001.
Wesp earned five letters at Anoka High School, three in basketball and two in softball. She was a two-time Northwest Suburban all-conference player for the Tornadoes and helped lead Anoka to a conference title in her junior season. Wesp was a member of the National Honor Society for her academic achievements.
The Minnesota softball team has compiled six consecutive winning seasons, including a 36-22-1 record in 2001. During the fall, the Gophers will host Wis.-Superior on Sept. 26 and the Minnesota Invitational on Oct. 13 at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Gophers will open the 2002 softball season by hosting the Metrodome Softball Classic on Thursday, February 7th.