Central duo on softball all-America squad
Central College
PELLA—First baseman Katie Tenboer (senior, Morrison, Ill.) and pitcher/designated player Kiley Lythberg (senior, Mount Prospect, Ill., Prospect HS), the cornerstones of Central College’s Iowa Conference co-championship softball team in 2011, were named first-team Division III all-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
It’s the second time Tenboer was selected. She was a third-team pick a year ago. Central players have now received all-America distinction 31 times.
Central and top-ranked Linfield (Ore.) were the only schools with more than one first-team honoree in 2011.
Both four-year starters, Tenboer and Lythberg helped lead the Dutch to a 39-9 record, a share of the program’s 11th Iowa Conference title and its 23rd NCAA tournament berth.
Tenboer hit a team-high .414 with a school-record 48 runs batted in, 11 doubles and seven homers. She also drew a team-high 30 walks, scored 22 runs and stole four bases. She compiled a .994 fielding percentage.
A two-time first-team all-Iowa Conference selection, Tenboer was the league’s position player of the year in 2010. She set school career records for home runs (21), RBI (140) and intentional walks (12). Tenboer ranks fourth in school history in career slugging percentage (.536) and is eighth in hits (159).
Lythberg, chosen as a utility player, hit .387 with eight doubles, two triples and 31 RBI, scoring 18 runs and stealing three bases.
As a pitcher Lythberg posted a 20-7 record with a 2.47 earned run average. She appeared in 30 games and tossed three shutouts, yielding 135 hits in 156 innings with 52 walks and 119 strikeouts. She compiled a 1.000 fielding percentage with 15 putouts, 53 assists and no errors.
Lythberg ranks fourth in career victories (65) and strikeouts per game (5.23). She’s also second in career slugging percentage (.555) and fourth in career batting average (.369).
No other Iowa schools were represented on the first team. Luther pitcher Lexy Determan, Coe catcher Abby Flannagan and Cornell designated player Carly Goolsby were second-team honorees. Luther outfielder Kelsey Weindruch was a third-team pick.
