(Photo courtesy of Thomas Gaines, Behind the Scenez Media)
OCALA-- College of Central Florida sophomore Amy Szymanowski received the first of what should be many awards for her record-breaking season.
Szymanowski, a Florida State signee, was named the Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year earlier this week.
The sophomore catcher holds the CF career records for home runs (34), runs scored (91), slugging percentage and total bases (242). She also holds the single season marks for home runs (18), runs scored (51), and slugging percentage. With one game left, she is two total bases from setting the single-season record for that category as well.
To show how dominant Szymanowski has been, the previous career home run record for CF was 12. Last season, she was runner-up to FSC-Jacksonville's Riley Carter and is believed to be the first Patriot to ever earn MFC Player of the Year in softball.
Joining Szymanowski on first-team All-Conference were Autumn Hanners, Taylor Morrow, Jamie Nelson, Taylor Bowen and Jordan Lane.
Hanners is halfway to the school's career mark for doubles (26) after recording 13 this season, while Lane (.409) and Morrow (.348) had the top two batting averages on the team.
Bowen recently went over the 300-career strikeout mark and has 35 career victories, sparked by a 17-6 mark this season.
Nelson, a sophomore from nearby Belleview High, went 13-2 in the circle, which is one of the best winning percentages ever by a CF pitcher in a single season.
Jessica Nathan and Cheyene Blaha were named second-team All-Conference, while Lindsay O'Steen, Caylee Underwood and Lizzy Burchfield earned honorable mention honors.
Overall, CF Softball completed its best-ever finish in conference play with a runner-up effort behind Santa Fe College by just one game. The Patriots' 37-12 overall record is also the best in school history for winning percentage and its 19-3 home mark is the best CF Softball Complex has ever seen.
CF closes out its regular season on Saturday for Sophomore Day when it hosts St. Petersburg at 1 p.m.