NIACC's Olive wins NFCA Golden Shoe award
MASON CITY – Another day, another honor for the NIACC softball team.
NIACC's Katy Olive has been selected as the 2023 New Balance/NFCA NJCAA Division II Golden Shoe winner on Monday.
"Katy's level of speed is just not something you teach or coach," NIACC coach Matt Egger said. "It's pretty impressive to watch the preparation and work she puts in."
On Friday. NIACC's Laken Lienhard was honored as the inaugural NFCA NJCAA Division II Joan Joyce award winner for the first-team all-American utility/pitcher.
Olive, a freshman shortstop from Minneapolis, was fourth in NJCAA Division II with 63 stolen bases in 64 attempts. She stole a career-high four bases twice in the 2023 season.
Olive, who was a second-team all-region infield selection, stole at least one base in 39 of the 49 games she played.
The 63 stolen bases by Olive ranks fourth on the school's career list and ranks second on the school's all-time single-season list.
Kendall Cornick is NIACC's single-season record holder with 65 in 2016. Cornick was the 2016 NFCA NJCAA Division II Golden Shoe Winner.
"It's pretty incredible that the only time Katy was called out on a stolen base attempt was when she slid over and three foot past 2nd base," Egger said. "We were down in Evansville (Ind.) and the turf was damp and pretty slick from a morning rain.
"Stealing 63 bases is amazing, but then you look at she also had 31 extra base hits with 14 of them going for a home run."
