Jan. 25, 2007

Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri softball team recorded a program-high 3.36 grade-point average during the fall 2006 semester, with 13 women of the 20 member squad named to the Dean's List. Two Tigers, senior Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.) and junior Amy Henke (Florissant, Mo.) earned perfect 4.0 GPA's in their respective field of study.

The fourth highest fall GPA of Missouri's 20 varsity sports, it marks an improvement over the softball team's previous team-high of 3.33 set in the fall of 2005

"We are very proud of our team for their academic accomplishments from the fall semester," Missouri softball Head Coach Ehren Earleywine said. "In my 13 years of coaching I don't ever recall being with a team that has had a higher team GPA. It says something about the type of girls that the former coaching staff brought in. These are girls who are well rounded and committed to both athletic and academic excellence."

Seniors Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.), Allison Kennewell (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Masterson, and Sarah Stringer (Auxvasse, Mo.) along with juniors Henke, Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) and Sara Simons (Kearney, Mo.), sophomores Andee Allen (Windsor, Mo.), Katie Milles (St. Louis, Mo.) and Gina Schneider (Liberty, Mo.) and freshmen Alaina Jacobson (Crocker, Mo.), Meredith Nash (Peculiar, Mo.) and Julie Silver (Chesterfield, Mo.) all received Dean's List recognition. Each school and college at the University of Missouri determines which students are named to the Dean's List based on unique criteria.

Masterson, an engineering major, has earned a 4.0 GPA in seven semesters at Missouri and was one of only two Big 12 softball players to earn a 4.0 during the spring 2006 semester. 2006 All-Big 12 first team honoree Henke is an English major.