The Gustavus Adolphus College Athletics Department has announced the 2002-03 Female Athlete of the Year and she is Molly Biehn, a softball pitcher from Mankato, Minnesota. Biehn, who is the third annual recipients of the Gustavus Athlete of the Year award, will be honored at the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet which will take place on Saturday, September 27 in the Alumni Hall on the Gustavus campus. Luke Speltz, a throws specialist on the track and field team from Rollingstone, Minnesota, was named the Male Athlete of the Year.
Biehn, a junior who pitches and plays first base, led the Gusties to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and first MIAC title since 1990. She is the first player in the program’s history to receive MIAC Player of the Year honors. On the mound, she posted a league mark of 12-0 with an earned run average of 1.08, while at the plate she compiled a .338 batting average. She threw the first perfect game in the program’s history as the Gusties defeated Martin Luther College 11-0 on April 10. Post-season honors included First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region, Honorable mention All-America, NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team and Verizon Academic All-District First Team. Molly is the daughter of Ann and Chris Biehn of Mankato, Minnesota.
Biehn was selected from a group of 10 candidates. To be a candidate for the Gustavus Athlete of the Year, an athlete had to have been selected one of nine Athlete’s of the Month selected during the school year or put on the ballot by their head coach as a result of being selected their team’s Most Valuable Player. The winner’s were selected by a vote of the 16 Gustavus Head Coaches.
The 10 finalists for the Gustavus Female Athlete of the Year included: Rachel Batalden of Lamberton, Minnesota (sophomore, volleyball), Molly Biehn of Mankato, Minnesota (junior, softball), Alyssa Cox of Big Lake, Minnesota (first year, gymnastics), Beth DeLaRosby of Two Harbors, Minnesota (sophomore, swimming and diving), Jackie Luehmann of Lewiston, Minnesota (junior, track and field), Ingrid Olson of White Bear Lake, Minnesota (junior, nordic skiing and softball), Amanda Parker of Ames, Iowa (sophomore, gymnastics), Nichole Petersen of Arco, Minnesota (cross country and track and field), Angie Peterson of Northfield, Minnesota (junior, basketball) and Erin Schliep of Rochester, Minnesota (first year, golf).