DENVER, Colo. - The 2005 all-WAC softball teams were announced today, with six Rainbow Wahine garnering honors. Leftfielder Kaulana Gould was voted WAC Freshman of the Year. Joining Gould on the first team was senior Denise Dahlberg, sophomore Tyleen Tausaga, and junior Tara Harbert. Junior Ashley Ruff and senior Melissa Coogan were named to the second team.

Kaulana Gould is only the second Rainbow Wahine to be selected as the WAC Freshman of the Year, with Stacey Porter earning the honor in 2001. The leftfielder from Ewa Beach, was fierce in WAC competition. In the final 12 games, Gould hit .444 with 14 runs, 11 RBI, three doubles, and two triples. During this span, she had an eight-game hitting-streak and scored at least one run in 11 consecutive games. The Kamehameha Schools graduate earned her first WAC Player of the Week honor for her play during the Louisiana Tech series when she hit .700 (7-for-10) with a double, a triple, two walks, a stolen base, and five RBI and was 5-6 with runners in scoring position. Gould also finished second in the WAC in hits (23), runs scored (16), total bases (31); and she ended in third in the conference with an average of .426.

Denise Dahlberg earned her fourth all-WAC recognition. In her freshman year she made the first-team as an outfielder. She then got a pair of all-WAC second-team nods at catcher her sophomore and junior seasons. She completes her Rainbow Wahine career as a first-team selection at catcher. During conference games, Dahlberg was on fire at the plate, lighting up WAC pitchers for a .400 average with 15 runs, nine RBI, three doubles and two triples. Her 24 hits in conference play led the league, and she was tied for the lead in triples (2) with Gould; third in the league with runs scored (15) and stolen bases (5-5).

Tyleen Tausaga was named to the first-team as a first baseman. As a freshman in 2004 she was placed on the second-team. Tausaga, a sophomore out of Kaimuki High School, remained consistent all season long, hitting for a career high .367 in the WAC and .391 overall. She led the WAC for most of the season in batting average, and finished the season leading the team in seven offensive categories, including hits (54), doubles (10), home runs (4), RBI (33), slugging percentage (.551), on-base percentage (.476), and walks (22).

It is the first all-WAC honor for Tara Harbert. The junior from Longmont, Colo., finished 2005 tops in the WAC in batting average at .486 and second in stolen bases (7-9). The lefty slapper faced much adversity this season. She did not start in 10 straight games after she breaking two fingers in her left hand. At the time of the injury, Harbert was on an offensive tear, she was second on the team with a .382 average and led the team in runs scored (17) and stolen bases (8-9). The team went 4-6 without Harbert (Hawai`i is 27-15 when she starts in center). When she returned, she did not miss a beat, hitting 15-29 for an average of .517 for the last eleven games.

It is also the first all-WAC honor for shortstop Ashley Ruff. The junior out of Kamehameha Schools, finished 2005 on an offensive tear, going on an 11-game hit-streak (4/3-5/6/05). In the last 12 games, Ruff hit a blistering .429 average, scoring three runs with 11 RBI, two doubles, a triple, and a home run. She was one of the key catalysts during the win-streak, coming through with clutch hits in crucial situations.

Last, but certainly not least, pitcher Melissa Coogan picked up her second recognition for the WAC. The senior from West Hills, Calif. was voted as one of two "At-Large" selections. Earlier this year, she earned her fourth WAC Pitcher of the Week honor of her career for winning three games on the team's last roadtrip to Tulsa and UTEP. She finished the WAC with a record of 7-3 with an ERA of 1.44. Coogan won six of her last eight games, and finished her Rainbow Wahine career ranked at least in the top three in thirteen different pitching categories for Hawai`i.

Fresno State and Hawai`i both had six total players on the teams with the Rainbow Wahine, placing a WAC-high four players on the first team. There were six players on the first team that were either first or second team honorees in 2004. There was a tie for first team at second base.

Fresno State had three players on the second team. Tulsa and Louisiana Tech had two players on the second team, while Nevada, Hawai'i, San Jose State and UTEP all placed one on the second team. All seven teams had at least one player on the all-WAC team.

2005 ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM
C -- Denise Dahlberg!~% -- Hawai`i /Sr. / Chandler, Ariz. (Desert Vista HS)
1B -- Tyleen Tausaga% -- Hawai`i / So. / Honolulu, Hawaii (Kaimuki HS)
2B -- Angela Osbon -- Tulsa / So. / Glendale, Ariz. (Deer Valley)
2B -- Rochelle Sandberg -- Louisiana Tech / Fr. / Santee, Calif. (Santana)
3B -- Leticia Pacheco -- Fresno State / Sr. / Bloomington, Calif. (Bloomington)
SS -- Christina Clark^$ -- Fresno State / Jr. / Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei)
OF -- Kaulana Gould -- Hawai`i / Fr. / Ewa Beach, Oahu (Kamehameha Schools)
OF -- Tara Harbert -- Hawai`i / Jr. / Longmont, Colo. (Niwot)
OF -- Lindsey Tower -- Tulsa / Fr. / Edmond, Okla. (Edmond North)
UTL -- Candice Rainwater$ -- Nevada / Jr. / Dana Point, Calif. (Dana Hills)
DP -- Sara Dyer -- Tulsa / Fr. / Sand Springs, Okla. (Charles Page)
P -- Jamie Southern!^$ -- Fresno State / Sr. /Clovis, Calif. (Clovis)

SECOND TEAM
C -- Nichole Willis$ -- Fresno State / So. / Clovis, Calif. (Clovis)
1B -- Katie Torres~$ -- Tulsa / Jr. / Oklahoma City, Okla. (Del City)
2B -- Kristin Stith -- Nevada / So. / Chino Hills, Calif. (Ayala)
3B -- Ashley Bennett -- UTEP / So. / Ontario, Calif. (Gulf Coast CC)
SS -- Ashley Ruff -- Hawai`i / Jr. / Honolulu, Oahu (Kamehameha Schools)
OF -- Amber Miles$ -- Louisiana Tech / Sr. / DeSoto, Texas (Bishop Dunne)
OF -- Julie Shafer% -- Tulsa / Jr. / Broken Arrow, Calif. (Broken Arrow)
OF -- Brittany Stanley^% -- Louisiana Tech / Sr. / Sulphur, La. (Sulphur)
UTL -- Kristin Sylvester -- Fresno State / Fr. / Big Bear, Calif. (Lumen Christi Academy)
DP -- Jamie Southern!^$ -- Fresno State / Sr. / Clovis, Calif. (Clovis)
P -- Carol Forbes -- San Jose State / Sr. / Scottsdale, Ariz. (Horizon)

AT-LARGE
OF -- Elisa Barrios -- San Jose State / Sr. / Mountain View, Calif. (Mountain View)
P -- Melissa Coogan~^ -- Hawai`i / Sr. / West Hills, Calif. (El Camino Real)

2005 WAC Player of the Year: Christina Clark, Fresno State
2005 WAC Pitcher of the Year: Jamie Southern, Fresno State
2005 WAC Freshman of the Year: Kaulana Gould, Hawai`i
2005 WAC Coach of the Year: Margie Wright, Fresno State

$2005 First Team all-WAC
%2005 Second Team all-WAC
^2003 First Team all-WAC
~2003 Second Team all-WAC
!2002 First Team all-WAC