George Washington University Athletics
Cone Named A-10 Softball Player of the Year
5/7/2019 2:08:00 PM | Softball
Junior led five Colonials receiving honors Tuesday
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - In recognition of a record-breaking junior season at the plate, George Washington's Jenna Cone was named Atlantic 10 Softball Player of the Year on Tuesday.
The slugging third baseman is the first Colonial to win the conference's top award after posting a .395 batting average with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs to help the Buff and Blue collect a program-record 39 wins. She also claimed a spot on the All-Conference First Team for the second time in her career, leading five GW student-athletes honored by the A-10 ahead of the conference championship.
Sierra Lange joined Cone on the All A-10 First Team as a pitcher after setting program records for wins (26) and strikeouts (201), while catcher Jessica Linquist and designated player Alessandra Ponce earned All-Conference Second Team recognition. Linquist added an All-Academic nod, as well.
Rounding out the awards, first-year Morgan Kummer picked up All-Rookie honors.
"I'm proud of all of our award winners," head coach Shane Winkler said. "It's special anytime you can have the Player of the Year in your conference, and Jenna Cone has had an amazing season. All of our players that were honored and nominated were very deserving, and I'm looking forward to them finishing the season on a highest of notes."
Cone added to an already decorated career with her best season yet, leading an offense that ranks No. 2 nationally with a .349 team batting average. The California native leads the A-10 and ranks among the top 20 nationally in homers, RBIs and slugging percentage (.832). She's posted 24 multi-hit and 19 multi-RBI efforts, in addition to playing dependable defense at third.
Cone earned a pair of National Player of the Week awards on March 13 after a torrid run in which she went 14-for-22 with five home runs, three doubles and 17 RBIs over seven games.
Along the way, Cone has become the program's all-time leader in home runs (49), RBIs (183) and total bases (375).
GW landed multiple All-Conference First Team members for the first time with Lange honored for her tremendous work in the circle.
Lange has set nearly every program pitching mark, compiling a 26-11 record with a 2.64 ERA in 220 1/3 innings over 41 appearances.
The sophomore from Texas ranks fifth nationally in wins and leads the A-10 with 12 victories vs. conference foes. She tossed a program-record 25 complete games, including five shutouts, highlighted by a 7-0 defeat of North Carolina on Feb. 28.
Beyond that, Lange has helped her cause as one of the A-10's top hitters, posting a conference-best .426 batting average. She ended the regular season tied for the national lead with 78 hits and also ranks among the top 10 in the A-10 in runs (47), doubles (16), triples (6), RBIs (36) and steals (17).
Linquist has put together a breakout season, coming back from a knee injury to shine as an offensive spark plug and defensive stalwart behind the plate.
Batting out of the leadoff spot, the junior from New Jersey has posted an A-10 best .498 on-base percentage with a program-record 59 runs scored and career-high 28 extra-base hits. Her season was highlighted by a 28-game hitting streak, which was the longest in the nation in almost five years.
A psychology major, Linquist was also honored for her work in the classroom on the strength of a 3.89 GPA.
Ponce made the All A-10 Second Team for the second consecutive season after hitting .338 with 17 doubles, seven home runs, 34 RBIs and a .600 slugging percentage during the regular season. The sophomore from Nevada knocked in a team-high 21 runs over the 22 A-10 contests.
A Wisconsin native, Kummer proved ready to help immediately in her debut season, compiling a .352 batting average over 50 games (32 starts). She earned a spot in the outfield rotation by piling up 18 runs, 17 RBIs and five doubles.
It's the third straight season and seventh time in eight years the Colonials have been represented on the All-Rookie Team.
GW looks to build on all that success at the A-10 Championship in Amherst, Mass. The third-seeded Colonials kick off their run Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. vs. No. 6 seed Saint Louis.
The slugging third baseman is the first Colonial to win the conference's top award after posting a .395 batting average with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs to help the Buff and Blue collect a program-record 39 wins. She also claimed a spot on the All-Conference First Team for the second time in her career, leading five GW student-athletes honored by the A-10 ahead of the conference championship.
Sierra Lange joined Cone on the All A-10 First Team as a pitcher after setting program records for wins (26) and strikeouts (201), while catcher Jessica Linquist and designated player Alessandra Ponce earned All-Conference Second Team recognition. Linquist added an All-Academic nod, as well.
Rounding out the awards, first-year Morgan Kummer picked up All-Rookie honors.
"I'm proud of all of our award winners," head coach Shane Winkler said. "It's special anytime you can have the Player of the Year in your conference, and Jenna Cone has had an amazing season. All of our players that were honored and nominated were very deserving, and I'm looking forward to them finishing the season on a highest of notes."
Cone added to an already decorated career with her best season yet, leading an offense that ranks No. 2 nationally with a .349 team batting average. The California native leads the A-10 and ranks among the top 20 nationally in homers, RBIs and slugging percentage (.832). She's posted 24 multi-hit and 19 multi-RBI efforts, in addition to playing dependable defense at third.
Cone earned a pair of National Player of the Week awards on March 13 after a torrid run in which she went 14-for-22 with five home runs, three doubles and 17 RBIs over seven games.
Along the way, Cone has become the program's all-time leader in home runs (49), RBIs (183) and total bases (375).
GW landed multiple All-Conference First Team members for the first time with Lange honored for her tremendous work in the circle.
Lange has set nearly every program pitching mark, compiling a 26-11 record with a 2.64 ERA in 220 1/3 innings over 41 appearances.
The sophomore from Texas ranks fifth nationally in wins and leads the A-10 with 12 victories vs. conference foes. She tossed a program-record 25 complete games, including five shutouts, highlighted by a 7-0 defeat of North Carolina on Feb. 28.
Beyond that, Lange has helped her cause as one of the A-10's top hitters, posting a conference-best .426 batting average. She ended the regular season tied for the national lead with 78 hits and also ranks among the top 10 in the A-10 in runs (47), doubles (16), triples (6), RBIs (36) and steals (17).
Linquist has put together a breakout season, coming back from a knee injury to shine as an offensive spark plug and defensive stalwart behind the plate.
Batting out of the leadoff spot, the junior from New Jersey has posted an A-10 best .498 on-base percentage with a program-record 59 runs scored and career-high 28 extra-base hits. Her season was highlighted by a 28-game hitting streak, which was the longest in the nation in almost five years.
A psychology major, Linquist was also honored for her work in the classroom on the strength of a 3.89 GPA.
Ponce made the All A-10 Second Team for the second consecutive season after hitting .338 with 17 doubles, seven home runs, 34 RBIs and a .600 slugging percentage during the regular season. The sophomore from Nevada knocked in a team-high 21 runs over the 22 A-10 contests.
A Wisconsin native, Kummer proved ready to help immediately in her debut season, compiling a .352 batting average over 50 games (32 starts). She earned a spot in the outfield rotation by piling up 18 runs, 17 RBIs and five doubles.
It's the third straight season and seventh time in eight years the Colonials have been represented on the All-Rookie Team.
GW looks to build on all that success at the A-10 Championship in Amherst, Mass. The third-seeded Colonials kick off their run Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. vs. No. 6 seed Saint Louis.
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