Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University senior center fielder LaRonda McClain (Kings Mountain, N.C.) was named to the All-Tournament team for her performance in the 2010 Food Lion SAC softball tournament. Officials released the team this week. Lenoir-Rhyne University sophomore catcher Sarah Atkins earned tournament MVP honors.
McClain hit .533, going eight-for-15 in Wingate’s four games. She ranked second in the tournament in batting average and total hits, while her .563 on base percentage was good for fourth. She started her tournament with a three-for-four day against Mars Hill. She had three hits, an RBI and a run scored in Wingate’s 8-7 win over Catawba. McClain also had a hit and a run scored in the 2-1 win over Newberry, while doing the same against Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday afternoon.
On the Wingate charts, McClain leads the Bulldogs with her .377 batting average. She is also number one with 63 hits, 39 runs scored and 10 stolen bases on the season. McClain also leads the way with a .453 on base percentage, while ranking second with 23 walks and 12 sacrifices.
McClain earned All-SAC first team honors in the 2010 season. She earned first team All-SAC honors in 2009 as well, while also earning All-Region accolades. McClain earned All-SAC second team laurels in her first two seasons at Wingate.
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.
Wingate offers 34 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past four years.
Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.
(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)
