Bowling Green State University Athletics
Wiemer Named Lowe's Senior CLASS Candidate
March 07, 2009 | Softball
March 7, 2009
KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Senior Hayley Wiemer was one of the 30 senior softball student-athletes named a 2009 Lowe's Senior CLASS Candidate (March 6). Wiemer is the only senior to represent the Mid-American Conference this year and the second straight Falcon to be named to this prestigious list as Allison Vallas was named a candidate last year.
Complete Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Release in PDF Format 
Wiemer, a Sylvania, Ohio native, is a three-time first team All-MAC selection, a two-time NFCA Great Lakes All-Region, a two-time ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District, a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree and an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American.
In the classroom, Wiemer is an adolescent, young adult, secondary education major with a perfect 4.00 GPA. After graduation, she is looking to pursue a career as a collegiate softball coach or as a high school biology teacher. She is an Academic All-American (2008), a two-time ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District first team honoree (2007, 2008) and Academic All-MAC selection (2007, 2008), a four-time MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week (twice as a sophomore and twice as a junior), the BGSU Junior Scholar Athlete of the Year, named to the Dean's List all three years and received the Outstanding Junior in Science Award, the Verlin W. Lee Faculty Achievement Award and the Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities Award. Wiemer is also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, the Magna Cum Laude National Honor Society and the BGSU Student Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as the 2008-09 President.
Wiemer is also an active member of the Bowling Green and Northwest Ohio communities, using both her athletic talents as well as her intellect to give back to others. For the past four years she has worked with the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament, helping to run the event and interacting with the special needs children. She has used her softball skills and knowledge for the last five years to train young girls between the ages of 10-18 in both pitching and hitting. Wiemer has also volunteered at the Woodlane Community Center teaching and assisting Woodlane students with pool exercises and other recreational activities to help keep the children in the community active and physically fit. Wiemer has used her skills in the classroom as well to help others as she has tutored students in various subjects at the Bowling Green Junior High and mentored BGSU freshmen through their transition into college life as a Springboard Leader and First-Year Mentor. Wiemer has also taken the time to help the community as a whole volunteering at Wood Haven Senior Center and Rehabilitation's Bingo activities and Wood County Senior Center's holiday meals. As a member and the 2008-09 President of BGSU's SAAC she has helped manage several community projects such as the Mid-American Conference's Mile Shoe Collection and a BGSU toiletries colligation for local women's shelters.
On the field, Wiemer is a three-time first team All-MAC selection (2006-08), a two-time NFCA All-Great Lakes Region selection (2007, 2008), was named MAC Freshman of the Year (2006) and to the All-MAC freshmen team and a three-time co-captain of the BGSU softball team.
In her senior campaign, Wiemer was named one of the co-captains for the third straight season. Wiemer has already earned MAC Pitcher of the Week honors after finishing the Falcons' opening weekend fanning 19 batters in 20 innings of work with an ERA of 1.75 for a 2-2 record and one save. Wiemer opened the 2009 season (Feb. 13) from the circle for the Falcons shutting out North Florida (1-0) and striking out eight batters in her first complete game of the season. In her first two games Wiemer did not give up an earned run and only allowed six hits in 11.2 innings of work. On day two (Feb. 14) of the UCF-Early Bird Tournament she tied her career high 10 strikeouts against South Carolina, including fanning six straight batters in the third and fourth innings. Wiemer picked up her first save of the season in the Falcons, 3-2 win over University of Texas-Arlington. Wiemer has struck out 34 batters with an ERA of 2.52 in 41.2 innings of work this season thus far. From the plate, she has the second best batting average on the team with .292, including 7 hits, four RBIs and four runs scored.
As a junior, Wiemer started every game for the Falcons between her duties on the mound and as the designated player. She led the Falcons with a .637 slugging pct. and 11 homers, tying the BGSU single season record she set in 2007, becoming the only Falcon in program history to post two seasons of double-digit home run performances as well as the only to do so in consecutive seasons. Wiemer led the MAC and was 41st in the nation for homers despite being the fifth most walked player in the nation and the most walked player in the MAC as opponents gave her first base 37 times in 2008 averaging 0.86 walks per game. From the circle she posted an overall record of 15-7, 11-1 in the MAC, recording five shutouts and one combined retiring 120 batters on strikes in 155.0 innings of work with a 1.76 ERA. Wiemer finished the 2008 season ranked 13th in the nation for walks per seven innings (0.92 per seven innings), walking only one batter in her first 25 innings of work (six appearances) and walking one batter or less in her last 10 games of the regular season, including six games with no walks. She was named to the MAC All-Tournament Team after posting the lowest ERA of any pitcher at the MAC Tournament (0.56 ERA), allowing only two earned runs in 25.0 innings of work, fanning 11 batters. Wiemer was also named MAC East Pitcher of the Week and MAC Scholar Athlete twice as a junior.
As sophomore Wiemer led the Falcons with a .413 batting average and claimed the single-season home run record with 11 home runs on the season. From the mound she led the Falcons in winning percentage with a 17-5 record, 9-3 in conference play, with a 1.45 ERA, pitching 12 complete games and fired three shutouts, combining on two other shutout victories for the Falcons. She was named MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week twice and earned MAC Player of the Week.
Wiemer ranks first in career slugging percentage (.578) and career walks (95), second in career home runs (24), third in career batting average (.338), sixth in career RBIs (84), third in career strikeouts (434) and career winning percentage (.620), fourth in career wins (44) and sixth in career ERA (1.69) in BG program history.
The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award is presented to NCAA Division I student-athletes in eight sports. CLASS stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards that a senior season can bring.
The list of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. The ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans. The award winner will be announced and recognized at the 2009 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
