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Softball continues success

Miami women’s sports have had a recent run of championship performances.

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer 10:30 PM Wednesday, May 13, 2009

OXFORD — The Miami University softball team’s surge into the NCAA tournament was inspired, in part, by the recent success of the school’s other women’s programs, according to coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly.

“It’s been nice for us to have Miami University women’s teams winning so much,” she said. “It’s set a standard for us. It’s definitely a championship culture.”

The RedHawks scored four straight victories in the Mid-American Conference tournament last week to clinch the second NCAA berth in program history. They are merely the latest in a long line of Miami female athletes who have made it to the national stage:

• The synchronized skating team won its fifth straight national championship on March 7.

• The volleyball team has played in the last two NCAA tournaments.

• The tennis team qualified for the 2009 NCAA tournament.

• The basketball team earned a berth to the 2008 NCAA tournament.

• The cross country team qualified for the 2008 NCAA Great Lakes Regional.

• The swimming & diving team sent two athletes this year and the track & field team sent one last year to their respective national championship meets.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.

NCAA softball tournament

Who: No. 4 seed Miami (32-22) vs. No. 1 seed Michigan (41-10) in the first round of the NCAA regional at Ann Arbor, Mich., one of 16 regional sites.

When: 7 p.m. Friday, May 15

Where: Wilpon Softball Complex

Second round: The Miami-Michigan winner will play the Notre Dame-Cleveland State winner at noon Saturday, May 16. The first-round losers will play each other at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Format: Double elimination

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