May 27, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Center Court Board of Directors held their season-ending awards function Thursday night at the Hilton Garden Inn in Evanston, presenting their annual awards to some of Northwestern's outstanding female athletes.
Center Court is a booster group devoted to the women's athletic programs at Northwestern University.
The Torch of Center Court Scholarship was awarded to Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) from the softball team. Mobley is the only Wildcat to start every game Northwestern has played in the last three seasons. The right fielder is a two-time All-Big Ten selection as well as a CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten honoree. A 2004 captain, Mobley holds two NU single-season records (total bases and tied for first with doubles) and ranks in the top-six of four other season categories.
Three students were honored as Outstanding Senior Athletes. Soccer player Molly Greene (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest), volleyball standout Erika Lange (Orland Park/Carl Sandburg) and softball captain Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla) earned the awards after outstanding Wildcat careers. Greene, a senior and three-time captain, started all 71 games of her collegiate career. On defense, she was a three-time All-Big Ten selection, while earning CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten honors. This season, she scored the game-winning goal vs. Michigan and assisted on a goal in the Wildcats' victory over 14th-ranked Purdue.
Lange, also a four-year starter, holds Northwestern's career records for kills per game, hitting percentage, blocks, and block assists; single season records for hitting percentage and block assists; and individual match records for blocks and block assists. The middle blocker is also second on NU's all-time list for kills. Lange is a three-time All-Big Ten Team selection and as a rookie, was named to the Conference's All-Freshman Team.
Leto, the Wildcats' record-setting second baseman, is a three-time All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten selection, and earned CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors in 2004. The senior ranks in the top-seven all-time at Northwestern in 10 different offensive categories and was one of 50 student-athletes nationwide chosen to try out for the U.S. National Team in 2003. Leto is tied with teammate Erin Mobley as NU's single-season record holder for doubles and became the first Wildcat female athlete to be drafted by a professional sports franchise.
Suzi Sutton (York, Pa./Dallastown) was honored with the Jean Youngs Baddeley Spirit Award. Sutton was a four-year starter on the Wildcat field hockey team and walked on to the basketball team in 2003 after managing the team for two seasons. This year, she also managed the softball team. The senior is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, an All-Big Ten selection and was named to the Conference All-Tournament Team in 2001. In 2002, Sutton was selected to play for the USFHA's summer league team and was a NFHCA national academic squad member. As a walk-on, she saw action in six games and recorded two rebounds. Most recently, Sutton was chosen as Northwestern's Coca Cola Community All-American for her extensive volunteer efforts.
Lacrosse standout Courtney Koester (Richmond, Ind./Richmond) was honored as the Center Court's Scholar Athlete. Koester, who will return for another season in 2005, has started every game for the Wildcats in the last three seasons. The 2004 squad won the American Lacrosse Conference title and finished the season ranked sixth nationally. The midfielder was named to the All-ALC Team for the second consecutive year, and as a tri-captain, helped lead NU to the NCAA quarterfinal round this season. Koester also led the 'Cats in draw controls and caused turnovers, while earning CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten accolades.
Six other women were accorded senior recognition by Center Court: Ruth Barnes (tennis), Jill Buschur (volleyball), Connie Chiang (tennis), Angela McMahon (lacrosse), Kristen Pearce (soccer) and Erica Rose (swimming). In addition, the fencing team was cited for having the highest combined team grade point average at 3.37.