MADISON, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point softball team had five players named to the All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) teams announced Tuesday (May 16). Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East) and Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community) were named to the first team. Makenna Tkach (Streator, Ill./Marquette Academy), Sara Traxel (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) and Ashley Zygowski (Saukville, Wis./Port Washington) earned honorable mention team honors. Keltie Cloud (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) was named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship team.
 
WIAC Release
 
Candre grabs her third career All-WIAC honor. She was a first-team selection and league player of the year in 2021. This season, Candre started all 41 games and hit .378 with team highs in at-bats (135), hits (51), doubles (11), runs scored (34), total bases (69), walks (22) and slugging percentage (.511). She holds career school records in doubles with 55 and total hits at 213. Candre had 18 multi-hit games this season and hit safely in 31 of the final 38 games including a 12-game hit streak from April 11 to May 3.
 
Klicker snags her second-straight league award after an honorable mention selection last season. She started all 41 games this season and led the team with 17 stolen bases. She was second on the team with 25 RBI and 30 runs scored. On the year, Klicker had nine multi-hit games. In early May, Klicker had four-straight games with two runs scored in each.
 
Tkach garners her third-straight all-conference nod and back-to-back honorable selection. She made 12 starts among her 32 appearances and has three of the four top single season appearance marks in school history. This season, she had 10 wins and four saves with a 2.04 ERA. She struck out 61 batters and capped her career with exactly 300 strikeouts, fourth-most in program history. Tkach ranks second in school history in career victories (39) and appearances (109). Four times in her career, including once this season, Tkach was named WIAC Pitcher of the Week. Earlier today, Tkach earned Academic All-District honors.
 
Traxel also lands her third-straight league award. She started all 41 games this season and all 128 games played in her career. Traxel hit .301 this season with 17 RBI. Her 40 hits and 16 stolen bases were second on the team. Traxel led the team with nine sacrifice bunts. In 2021, she was an NFCA All-Region honoree and earlier today was named to the CSC Academic All-District squad.
 
Zygowski collects her first career league award after a breakout freshman campaign. She went 14-4 in the circle with a 1.96 earned run average in 118 innings pitched. Her 33 appearances this season are the second-most in program history. She struck out 136 hitters this season, the most by any WIAC hurler. She posted double-digit strikeouts three times, including a season-high 11 against UW-Whitewater in an elimination game win in the WIAC Tournament.
 
Cloud earns WIAC All-Sportsmanship team honors after playing in 34 games this season. She stole seven bases and scored 12 runs. Her first collegiate hit was a double at UW-Stout on May 7.
 
The Pointers posted a 28-13 record this year, the most wins since 2007. UWSP reached the WIAC Tournament title game for the first time since 2001 and just the fifth time in program history. This season, the Pointers set a school record for single-season stolen bases with 97 as a team, the second time in the last three seasons setting a new program standard.