PITMAN, N.J. – William Paterson senior third baseman Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) was named the 2009 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Softball Player of the Year, leading a list of four Pioneer honorees announced April 29.

Joining Reilly on the All-NJAC First Team were sophomore second baseman Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, N.J./Middletown North) and sophomore designated player Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley). Junior center fielder Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.) was selected to the All-NJAC Honorable Mention Team.

Reilly leads the Pioneers with a .540 on-base percentage, 40 runs scored, three triples, 18 walks and nine stolen bases while ranking second on the team with a .453 batting average, 13 doubles, and a .660 slugging percentage, starting in 35 of 36 appearances. In her first season at third base after catching and playing in the outfield, this marks the third time that Reilly has earned all-conference accolades (2008 second team, 2007 first team). Through games of April 26, Reilly led the NJAC in on-base percentage, and was second in slugging percentage, runs scored and runs scored/game (1.14), tied for second in doubles, third in batting average, total bases (69), doubles/game (0.37) and walks/game (0.49), tied for third in walks, fifth in hits and hits/game (1.34), tied for fifth in triples, tied for sixth in triples/game (0.09), and 12th in stolen bases/game (0.26). Reilly's 40 runs scored currently put her in a tie for fourth place on the William Paterson single-season list, and her .453 average currently rates fifth. On April 20 of this season, she was selected as the NJAC and ECAC Metro Region Player of the Week.

Reilly is the fourth Pioneer to be named the NJAC Player of the Year, following in the footsteps of Diane Naugle (2001), Sam Kszepka (2002) and Katie Morris (2003).

Nadolny paces William Paterson with a .475 batting average and a .667 slugging percentage, is tied for the team lead with four home runs, and is adding nine doubles, 28 RBI, 30 runs scored and a .512 on-base percentage. A second-team all-conference selection a year ago, she was the NJAC regular-season batting average champion (.466). Through games of April 26, the former NJAC (March 23, April 13) and ECAC Metro Region (April 13) Player of the Week was first in the conference statistics in hits/game (1.54), second on-base percentage, hits and total bases (77), third in slugging percentage, tied for third in home runs, fourth in RBI/game (0.80), fifth in RBI and runs scored/game (0.83), tied for sixth in runs scored, seventh in homers/game (0.11), tied for seventh in doubles, and 10th in doubles/game (0.26). Nadolny's 2009 totals currently rank her second in batting average and fourth in hits on the William Paterson single-season charts.

Vitale has a team-best 16 doubles and 34 RBI to go along with a .393 batting average, 19 runs scored, .598 slugging percentage and .458 on-base percentage. The sophomore also owns a 7-3 record and 1.76 ERA inside the circle, starting in 10 of 12 appearances and throwing five complete games and two shutouts while striking out 39 and walking 12 in 55.2 innings. Through games of April 26, she ranked first in the NJAC in doubles and doubles/game (0.43), tied for first in RBI, second in RBI/game (0.94), fourth in slugging percentage and on-base percentage, sixth in batting average, hits, total bases (62) and hits/game (1.17), and 12th in ERA. Vitale's 16 doubles currently put her in second place on the William Paterson single-season list.

Zippler is hitting .366 this season while starting all 37 games in center field, posting a team-best 10 sacrifice hits to go along with seven doubles, three home runs, 22 RBI, 28 runs scored, six stolen bases, a .527 slugging percentage and a .400 on-base percentage. Named the March 16 NJAC and ECAC Metro Region Player of the Week, she was tied for fourth in sacrifices, tied for seventh in hits, eighth in batting average, tied for eighth in runs scored and runs scored/game (0.75), ninth in hits/game (1.11), tied for ninth in total bases (58), 11th in RBI/game (0.61) and tied for 11th in RBI in the conference statistics through games of April 26.

The No. 24 Pioneers (30-7, 13-5 NJAC), the second seed in the NJAC Tournament, will take on third-seeded TCNJ in the second round Friday, May 1, at 4:00 p.m. at Rowan University. 













NEW JERSEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ALL-CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Meghan Reilly, William Paterson
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Jackie Sasko, Rowan
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Nicki Veneziano, Rowan
COACH OF THE YEAR: Kim Wilson, Rowan

FIRST TEAM
Name Year Pos. School Hometown//High School
Deanna Giordano SO P Ramapo Clifton, NJ/Clifton
Jackie Sasko* SR P Rowan Groveville, NJ/Steinert
Steph Taraschi^ JR C Rowan Mount Ephraim, NJ/Audubon
Kelly Dodd JR 1B Richard Stockton Linwood, NJ/Mainland
Lindsey Nadolny^ SO 2B William Paterson Belford, NJ/Middletown North
Meghan Reilly^% SR 3B William Paterson Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex
Ashley Minch FR SS Rowan Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Memorial
Kristina Brenner^+! SR OF Rowan Vineland, NJ/Vineland
Leslie Gonzalez* SO OF Montclair State North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen
Brittney McKeon~ SO OF Ramapo Toms River, NJ/Toms River North
Jenna Vitale SO DP William Paterson Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley
Katie Donnelly^ JR At-Large Ramapo North Haledon, NJ/Eastern Christian
Allison Lizzi* JR At-Large Kean Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West
Ellen Seavers*+ JR At-Large TCNJ Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood

SECOND TEAM
Name Year Pos. School Hometown/High School
Lauren Fitzsimmons FR P TCNJ Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan
Cassie Shotwell JR P Kean Dunellen, NJ/Dunellen
Stephanie Malgeri SO C Ramapo Montville, NJ/Montville
Caitlyn Seamster SO 1B TCNJ Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens
Jenna DiDonato JR 2B Rowan Hamilton, NJ/Steinert
Julie Leskanic FR 3B Rowan West Milford, NJ/West Milford
Sara Steinman@ SR SS Kean Springfield, NJ/Jonathan Dayton
Lindsay Connell SR OF Richard Stockton Rahway, NJ/Rahway
Crystal Lee FR OF TCNJ Dover, NJ/Morris Knolls
Shannon Mozek FR OF Montclair State Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley
Kelly Nance JR OF Montclair State Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro
Danielle Rothenberger FR DP Ramapo Livingston, NJ/Livingston
Danielle Delfino^ SO At-Large NJCU Jersey City, NJ/County Prep
Jennifer Jimenez*% SR At-Large Montclair State Linden, NJ/Linden

HONORABLE MENTION
Name Year Pos. School Hometown/High School
Kelly Karp*% SR P Montclair State Edison, NJ/Edison
Erika Drayton FR C Rutgers-Camden Blackwood, NJ/Triton Regional
Joey Afflitto FR 3B Richard Stockton Brick, NJ/Brick
Steph Skroski JR 3B Rutgers-Camden Stratford, NJ/Sterling
Samantha Horner^ SR SS Richard Stockton Newfield, NJ/Buena
Christina Zippler JR OF William Paterson Blackwood, NJ/Washington Township
Allison Thibault JR DP Kean Garfield, NJ/Garfield

Key:
* First Team All-Conference 2008
^ Second Team All-Conference 2008
~ Honorable Mention 2008 
% First Team All-Conference 2007
@ Second Team All-Conference 2007
+ Honorable Mention 2007
! Second Team 2006