Led by senior Lisa Sweeney, the 2009 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Lehigh placed eight student-athletes on the league’s softball Academic Honor Roll, which was announced on Monday. Sweeney capped off a career in which she won virtually every league award imaginable by earning her fourth straight honor roll nod, by posting a 3.88 grade point average as a history major in the spring semester.

Last month Lisa Sweeney put the finishing touches on one of the finest careers in Lehigh and Patriot League history. This week, Sweeney will be showcased on the national level when she appears in Sports Illustrated as one of six athletes highlighted in the publication’s “Faces in the Crowd” section in the issue dated June 22, 2009.

The Lehigh softball program enjoyed another banner season in 2009. The Mountain Hawks won at least 35 games for the ninth straight season, captured their 11th consecutive Patriot League regular season championship, and added their fifth tournament title in the last six years. Lehigh also shined on the national stage, winning a pair of games at the NCAA Gainesville Regional and advancing to the regional final before bowing to eventual national runner-up Florida.

Prior to its run to the finals of the NCAA Gainesville regional, Lehigh placed three student-athletes on the NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region teams, which were announced before regional play began last week. Senior Lisa Sweeney became Lehigh’s first four-time first-team All-Region selection as she was named as a pitcher-utility. Sweeney was joined on the All-Region team by senior Alisha Gonzales, who was selected as a utility player and freshman Julie Fernandez who made the team at first base.

Lehigh’s run through the Gainesville regional came to an end on Sunday as the top-ranked Florida Gators eliminated the Mountain Hawks with a 9-0 victory at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The Mountain Hawks hung tough with the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed through three innings before the Gators erupted to score nine times in the final four frames. Florida moves on to the Super Regionals next weekend against California, while Lehigh’s season comes to an end at 38-18-1.