Lake Land Softball Team Headed To Nationals

The Lake Land College Board of Trustees congratulated the Laker softball team on earning the Region 24 Championship and wished them well at the NJCAA Division 1 National Tournament.

MATTOON -- The Lake Land College softball team clinched the 2016 NJCAA Division 1 Region 24 Championship and is headed to the National Tournament in St. George, Utah Wednesday, May 18.

This is the fifth time the Lake Land College softball team has earned the championship title since 2011. The team is also an Academic All-American team. Jenna Jones, Shayna Gamm, Morgan Wolfer and Bailey Gowin were named to the Region 24 All-Tournaemnt team.

Under coach Nic Nelson's leadership,the team went 52-13 for the season. His coaching staff includes Assistant Coach Steve Simmonds and Director of Softball Operations Carley Coffee, as well as Pitching Coach Denny Throneburg.

Local players from the area are Deidre Ledbetter (Altamont), Audrey Casey (Toledo), and Brittany Fore (Newton). Other team members are Samantha Valetine (Monticello), Brittany Turner (Bloomington), Jenna Jones (Fulton), Bailey Gowin (Mount Zion), Katelyn Fisher (Mattoon), Emily Oestreich (Napa, Calif.), Anna Albaugh (Johnston, Iowa), Ali Finn (Charleston), Morgan Wolfer (Aurora), Tegan Murphy (Munster, Ind.), Kooper Vertz (Dillsboro, Ind.), Madison Boone (Shelbyville), Chloe Wigington (Ascot, England), Shayna Gamm (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and Lilianna Estrada (Burbank, Calif.).