simply the best! - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
simply the best! - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
simply the best! - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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Take your pick.<br />
Whe<strong>the</strong>r it’s Gina Rizzardi’s<br />
“incredible,” or Teisha<br />
Smith’s “unreal,” or Kateri<br />
Eddy’s “unbelievable,” what<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Saint</strong> Mary’s <strong>University</strong> fastpitch<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tball team accomplished on May<br />
21 was indescribable.<br />
The Cardinals became <strong>the</strong> first<br />
team in school history to capture a<br />
national championship, shutting out<br />
Chapman 5-0 behind <strong>the</strong> four-hit<br />
pitching <strong>of</strong> senior Teisha Smith and<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fensive exploits <strong>of</strong> Jackie<br />
Huegel and Jennifer Miller.<br />
“Our goal every year at <strong>the</strong> start<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> season is to finish in <strong>the</strong> top<br />
10 in <strong>the</strong> country,” said SMU coach<br />
John Tschida, whose team did not<br />
lose a game in <strong>the</strong> 2000 post-season,<br />
beating Benedictine, Central and<br />
Coe to win <strong>the</strong> Midwest Regional in<br />
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, <strong>the</strong>n rolling<br />
over Ithaca, The College <strong>of</strong> New<br />
Jersey and Chapman twice in <strong>the</strong><br />
national tournament, in Salem, Va.<br />
“To win <strong>the</strong> national championship<br />
… it’s quite an accomplishment.”<br />
Quite.<br />
“Every year you say you’d love to<br />
win a national title, but to actually<br />
do it, it’s unreal,” said Smith, who<br />
17