Athletes

Jennie Finch is an Olympic gold medalist and currently a member of the U.S. National Women's Softball Team and the National Pro Fastpitch's Chicago Bandits. She was one of 18 players placed on the U.S. roster for the 2008 Olympic Games. In 2007, the U.S. team captured their sixth consecutive Pan American and second consecutive World Cup of Softball gold medal. During the Pan Am Games Finch and teammate Alicia Hollowell pitched a combined no-hitter in their first game against Brazil. At the 14th Annual Canada up International Fastpitch Softball Tournament in 2007, Finch threw four no-hit innings, helping the United States clinch the title with a 5-0 victory over Japan. Finch received the Lori Sippel Award as the tournament's best pitcher. In the summer of 2007, which saw the United States take home three gold medals, Finch threw a team-high 31.0 innings with 49 strikeouts and a 0.23 ERA. Finch was the star pitcher for the gold-medal-winning 2004 Olympic U.S. women's softball team. She was 2-0 during the Games, with a 0.0 ERA and 13 strikeouts.
In 2003, she helped lead Team USA to victory at the Pan American Games. She was an all-star standout for the University of Arizona and holds the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record for consecutive wins (60). In 2002, her senior season, she helped Arizona to reach the NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS) and place second. She was named to the WCWS All-Tournament team, NCAA regional all-tournament team, All-Pac-10 and All-Pacific Region first teams and to the USA Softball national training team. Also, in her senior year she was honored as the International Softball Federation world champion, as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) first-team All-American and twice as a Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week recipient.
In addition, she was a top-three finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Finch is a two-time winner of the Honda Award for softball (2001-2002). In 2001, Arizona won the national championship, and Finch was named the WCWS Most Outstanding Player. As Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, she finished the season with a 32-0 record, which is the NCAA record for wins in a season without a defeat. That year she was a first-team All-Pac-10, All-Pacific Region and NCAA Regional All-Tournament team selection. Finch's sophomore season also brought much success to her, as she was named an NFCA first-team All-American. Her 29-2 record, with a 0.79 ERA, 16 home runs and a .327 average, spoke for itself. She was also honored as the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player, with a 3-0 record, including a no-hitter and a 0.35 ERA. In 1999, she completed her freshman season as an honorable mention All-Pac-10 and helped her team advance to the NCAA WCWS. Finch won a gold medal in 1998 at the Softball Women's National Team Festival. For her contributions to the game, her jersey No. 27 was retired by the University of Arizona in 2003. She has a 1-year-old son, Ace.(11/07)

For more information on Jennie, check out her Web site at: www.jenniefinch.net.