Women’s Sports Are Stellar in the Fall for KU
Four Kutztown University women’s sports teams shined this fall to start the 2005-06 athletic year. Ray Hoffman’s women’s cross country team placed third at the PSAC Championships and the NCAA East Regionals. The team advanced to the NCAA Championships where it placed 15th – its best finish ever. The Golden Bears were led by the freshman duo of Julie Karaszkiewicz and Joanna Horstmann. The pair earned All-PSAC and All-Region honors, and Karaszkiewicz was named the PSAC Rookie of the Year.
The women’s soccer team, under head coach Jeff Schellenberger, finished second in the regular-season PSAC East standings. KU defeated East Stroudsburg in the PSAC quarterfinals and West Chester in the semifinals, before losing a heartbreaker to Slippery Rock, 1-0, in the finals. KU finished 14-7-1 on the season, 8-3-1 in the PSAC East. Junior goalkeeper Nicole Rodweller finished the season with a record-setting goals-against average of 0.84. Sophomore Kim Kelty, juniors Kelly Murdock and Ashley Smith, and senior Erin Gallagher were named to the All-PSAC East first team. Senior Jeannine Bria was selected to the second team. Kelty and Murdock were named to second-team All-Northeast Region honors.
Betty Wesner’s field hockey team finished 15-6 on the season, 9-5 in the PSAC. KU returned to the playoffs for the second consecutive year, losing to Shippensburg in the semifinals. Kutztown was led by PSAC Rookie of the Year Kelley Healey. Healey had 17 goals and nine assists. Freshman Lindsey Bozarth scored 16 goals and had seven assists. Senior Laura Kline had 13 assists, breaking the single-season record of 10 set numerous times. Bozarth, junior Laura Belfatti and senior Colleen Healey were named to the All-PSAC first team. Hershey and K. Healey were selected to the second team. Kline and C. Healey were named National Field Hockey Coaches Association first team All-America, while Hershey and K. Healey were selected to the second team.
Kutztown’s volleyball team, under head coach John Gump, finished 21-12 overall, 7-3 in the PSAC East to clinch its third PSAC East title in four years. KU was led by outside hitter Sarah Brandon, who finished her junior season as KU’s career kills leader with 1,377. She also broke her own single season record with 546 kills. Brandon was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Year, first team All-PSAC East, and received a pair of all-region honors. Dani Witherite recorded her 1,000th career dig, finishing her junior year with 1,027. Shelby Bunting, Austin Kinney and Witherite were named to the All-PSAC East second team.
