Five Mustangs land all-conference honors

OLATHE, Kan. -- Mount Mercy's Keily Ulatowski, Natalie Tecklenburg, and Calli Janik landed second-team honors while teammates Allie Poston and Alyssa McElvain received honorable mention when the 2024 Heart of America softball honors were announced this week.

Ulatowski, an infielder, led the Mustangs in batting average and slugging percentage and was second on the team in runs batted in. She hit .339 and slugged .568 with five doubles and a pair of triples while sharing the team lead with six home runs. Ulatowski also finished with 30 RBIs.

Tecklenburg posted a .277 batting average with 11 doubles, two triples, four homers, and 22 runs batted in. She was also named the Heart of America's Gold Glove left fielder with a .987 field percentage that included two outfield assists and just one error in 77 chances.

Janik was Mount Mercy's top utility player this season, recording 14 doubles and 32 RBIs while finishing second in batting average at .326, home runs with five, and slugging percentage at .542.

Poston, who was the team's catcher and designated player, tied for the team lead with six home runs while batting .270 with eight doubles and 25 runs batted in. McElvain led the Mustangs in wins, going 12-10 with a 2.93 earned run average over 26 appearances, including 23 starts. Over 138-2/3 innings, she allowed 161 while striking out 70 and walking 43 batters.

2024 Heart of America Softball Awards
Pitcher of the Year: Jordyn Ball (Central Methodist)
Player of the Year: Elizabeth Palumbo (Central Methodist)
Freshman of the Year: Navaeh Randall (Grand View)
Newcomer of the Year: Baylee Knoor (Benedictine)
Coach of the Year: Pat Reardon (Central Methodist)