June 4, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Senior Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) has been named a Lowe's All-Senior All-America second-team choice based on voting results for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Pauly was one of 10 finalists for the 2010 honor, which identifies personal qualities that define a complete student-athlete, with criteria including community service, excellence in the classroom, outstanding character and competition on the field.
Pauly is the third Wildcat to be named a Lowe's All-Senior All-American in the last four years, joining Garland Cooper (first team in 2007) and Tammy Williams (first team in 2009). All 10 finalists for the award were named either first- or second-team All-Senior All-America.
Pauly is a four-time All-Big Ten selection who concluded her collegiate career with 53 home runs, 168 RBIs, 149 runs scored and a .604 slugging percentage while starting all 215 games Northwestern played during her four years in Evanston. A human development and psychological services major, Pauly is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient and was named a 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V second-team choice by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
In completely unrelated softball news, Pauly attended an open tryout held by the Chicago Bandits of National Professional Fastpitch (NPF) on Saturday, May 29, earning a contract at the workout. Pauly is the sixth Wildcat since 2004 to go on to play professionally in the NPF.
Pauly will join former Wildcat and current national team member Eileen Canney on the Bandits' roster in 2010. Canney and Williams both are playing professionally this year for Denso Bright Pegasus in Japan (which has a split spring/fall season with a summer hiatus) in addition both being on the U.S. Women's National Team. Canney will continue to play for the Bandits in 2010 while Williams, who joined the Bandits following her graduation from NU in 2009, is taking this summer off from NPF competition.