KUTZTOWN, PA (July 28, 2010) -- Kutztown University's Katie Lynch and Kevin Morton were named the 2009-10 Female and Male Rookies of the Year.

Lynch, who was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Player of the Year, helped the softball team earn a trip to NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional tournament and win 41 games. Meanwhile, Morton started the final seven games at quarterback for the Golden Bears and passed for 300 or more yards three times. Both players established themselves as leaders of their respective teams and prime-time performers.

Lynch was also named to the UNC-Pembroke all-tournament team. Lynch posted a team-leading .348 batting average and tied for the team lead with 69 hits. In addition, Lynch led Kutztown with 19 doubles and her 41 RBIs were second on the team. She scored 30 runs. Lynch led the Golden Bears with a .545 slugging percentage. Lynch also hit six home runs. In her first career college contest, Lynch was 3-for-3 with a double against UNC-Pembroke. She was second on the team with 15 multi-hit games and 13 multi-RBI games. She had her only four hit game of the season against Catawba. Lynch had at least one hit in 43 games.

Among some of her personal highlights during the season, Lynch blasted a two-out, three-run home run in the third inning to power Kutztown to a 3-2 win over Fairmont State in a regular season contest. She also had the game-winning double in the bottom of the seventh inning to key a 2-1 victory over Shippensburg. Lynch led the Golden Bears with four hits with the bases loaded. She hit .300 against left-handed pitching and .348 against right-handers. Lynch also hit .324 with runners in scoring position.

Displaying her clutch ability, Lynch had 27 two-out hits and 19 two-out RBIs, which led the Golden Bears. Lynch had a hit in each of the Golden Bears four NCAA Division II Atlantic Region tournament games. She had a three-hit performance against Fairmont State, including a home run.

Morton, on the other hand, played eight games for the Golden Bears. Morton completed 160 passes for 1,921 yards. Morton fired 15 touchdown passes and he threw for 300 yards in two of his final three games. He threw for a career high 354 yards in the season finale against Indiana, Pa. Morton also had four touchdown passes each in games against Millersville and IUP. He threw a touchdown pass in seven of the eight games. Morton's 224 rushing yards and three touchdowns ranked second on the team. In a game against eventual PSAC champion Shippensburg, Morton had a career best 63-yard run.

The nominees for KU's year-end awards were voted upon by members of the KU athletics department staff. The awards will be formally presented at halftime of the Sept. 11 football game vs. Mercyhurst.

COACHES OF THE YEAR AWARDS TO BE ANNOUNCED THURSDAY

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR AWARDS TO BE RELEASED FRIDAY

PREVIOUS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

 

--KU--