Jenny Topping

Last updated
Jenny Topping
Personal information
Born (1980-05-30) May 30, 1980 (age 43)
Whittier, California
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Spouse(s)Josephine Topping
Sport
College team Washington
Cal State Fullerton
Medal record
Women's softball
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2004 Athens Team competition

Jenny Louise Topping (born May 30, 1980) is an American, former collegiate four-time first team All-American, medal winning Olympian, retired professional All-Star softball player. Topping played college softball at Washington and Cal State Fullerton primarily as a catcher. She is best known for being a member of the United States women's national softball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics that won a gold medal. She also played professionally in the National Pro Fastpitch for the Akron Racers.

Contents

Topping holds numerous school records for both universities and is the Big West Conference batting average champion in just three seasons of play. She is one of nine NCAA players to bat .400, drive in 200 RBIs on at least 50 home runs and an .800 slugging percentage for a career.

College career

Washington

Topping began her career by playing in only 9 games before tearing her ACL and having to red-shirt the 1999 season. [1] She did hit three home runs, bringing in 11 RBIs and had career single game highs with four base on balls vs. the UIC Flames on February 6 and four hits vs. the Michigan Wolverines a week later on February 19. [2] [3]

In her first full season, Topping earned 2000 First Team All-American citation, along with All-Pac-10 honors and was named Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year. [4] [5] [6] Setting school records for RBIs (NCAA all-time Freshman Class record), home runs, slugging percentage, walks, grand slams (4) and on-base percentage (.565%), while ranking top-5 in average and doubles. Topping led the NCAA in the first three categories and placed herself in its top-10 all-time season rankings for the grand slams, RBI and home run totals. [7] She also led the Pac-10 for the RBI and home run totals that year.

During the week of March 7, Topping garnered National Fastpitch Coaches Association "National Player of The Week" honors for her performance of hitting over .650, driving in double digit RBIs (12) on 5 home runs and slugging an impressive 1.800%. [8] This would help the Husky bat a second all-time best in Washington softball history for a single season. Topping and the Huskies made it into the Women's College World Series but were eventually eliminated by Jennie Finch and the Arizona Wildcats in a 4–2 loss. It would mark Topping's only appearance at the series. [9]

Combined with her limited 1999 stats, Topping currently still retains season records for RBIs and slugging percentage. She is tops in career records for batting average, on-base and slugging percentage. [10] She ranks 5th in career batting average for the renamed Pac-12. [11]

Cal State-Fullerton

After having transferred onto a new team, Topping continued her career in honors by repeating as an All-American and picked up her first All-Big West selection along with a "Player of The Year" Award. [12] Topping set surviving school and conference season records in RBIs and walks. She also set new Cal State Fullerton Titans season records for on-base percentage and doubles, while ranking merely in the top-5 for batting average, home runs, slugging and runs. This would earn her a conference Triple Crown for the best average, RBI and home run marks, the latter of which she was tied with teammate Yasmin Mossadeghi. [13] Debuting on February 2, 2001, Topping would set a career and single game school record with 5 RBIs vs. the Colorado State Rams. [14]

The junior batted .472 (school record, career best and was the conference record) to again earn all-season honors. [15] Topping also posted top-5 school records in slugging, on base and walks. The Titans won a mercy rule victory (10-1) over the UCSB Gauchos, Topping contributed by smacking her 50th career home run against pitcher Katie Junge on May 4, 2002. [16] Beginning in a Regional win vs. the Stanford Cardinal on May 18, she began a consecutive hitting streak that would reach into her senior year. [17]

Topping's senior season saw her earn her fourth First Team All-American and third Big West all-conference and "Player of The Year" Awards. [18] She set a new Titans record for her .576% on-base percentage to accompany top-5 school and conference records in batting average, slugging and walks. Topping led off the season with a 13 consecutive game hit streak that added to the last games from the 2002 season for 15 in a row before being snapped in a win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders on February 16. [19]

Topping set another single game record for Cal State Fullerton by walking 4 times in 5 trips to the plate against the LSU Tigers on February 22, 2003. [20] On March 2, Topping drove in her 200th career RBIs in a win over the Oregon State Beavers with a perfect 2/2 performance and three RBIs on the occasion. [21]

Topping ended her career as the Titan career record holder in batting average (.442), .771% slugging, .573% on base and walks (137). She also holds top-10 career records in RBIs, hits, home runs, doubles, runs and fielding percentage. [22] She owns the Big West batting crown (in just three seasons) and ranks top-10 for RBIs, home runs, doubles and walks. [23] Overall, the acclaimed hitter would rank top-10 in RBIs, home runs, walks and slugging in all of the NCAA Division I, of which she still does for her career grand slams (5th) total. [24]

2004 Olympics

Topping made the United States National Team and spent most of the year playing on the Aiming For Athens Tour. Team USA previewed their prowess by scoring a tour best 18 runs off the Army Black Knights in exhibition game 8 on February 28. Topping went 4/5 with 4 RBIs, a home run and scored on two of teammate Lovieanne Jung's three home runs. Topping also hit a walk-off home run vs. the Illinois Fighting Illini on March 4 to preserve the team's perfect Olympic tours record. [25]

At the festival, Topping saw limited time on the field but managed to hit a team best .666 and earned a gold medal as the United States defeated Australia in the title game on August 23. [26]

Topping would go on to also earn a gold medal in 2006 World Championships. In 2008, she served as an alternate for the Beijing Olympics and won a silver medal. On the Bound 4 Beijing Tour she again led the team in batting average. She had been a Team USA member since 2001, starting on the USA Blue Team. [27]

NPF

The Akron Racers rookie played well to earn a spot on the NPF All-Star roster. [28] Her team made it into the Cowles Cup Championship and on August 28, 2005 they outlasted the Chicago Bandits 5–4 in 8-innings to win. Topping hit a double off Jennie Finch. [29]

Topping played two more seasons in 2006 and 2009 respectively and claims a career .328 batting average.

Awards and honors

Career statistics

Washington Huskies & Cal State Fullerton Titans
YEAR G AB R H BA RBI HR 3B 2B TB SLG BB SO SB SBA
199992459.3751130018.750%7401
2000671764377.4379024020169.960%561622
2001621685571.4225914319138.821%561800
2002531423767.472339014108.760%351800
2003551442563.4373610011104.722%46900
TOTALS246654165287.43922960364537.821%2006523
 United States National Team
YEAR AB R H BA RBI HR 3B 2B TB SLG BB SO SB SBA
2004902237.4113461663.700%131300
2008351519.54318506401.143%4400
TOTALS1253756.4485211112103.824%171700
NPF Akron Racers
YEAR AB R H BA RBI HR 3B 2B TB SLG BB SO SB
2005771629.3761620944.571%2790
20063358.242611215.454%730
2009911429.3182440445.494%24232
TOTALS2013566.328467115104.517%58352

See also

Related Research Articles

Stacey "Nuvey" Nuveman-Deniz is an American, former professional softball player and current head coach at San Diego State. She played for the UCLA Bruins at the catcher position on-and-off from 1997 to 2002, winning a National Championship in 1999. She also won two Olympic gold medals and one silver medal for Team USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjelica Selden</span>

Anjelica Maria Selden is a former collegiate All-American, softball pitcher and coach. She played for UCLA and is the career leader in strikeouts. She also pitched internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natasha Watley</span> American softball player

Natasha Renee Watley is an American, former collegiate four-time first-team All-American, two-time medal winning Olympian, retired seven-time pro All-Star softball player. Watley played college softball at UCLA, and helped the Bruins win a national championship. She represented the United States women's national softball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal, and again at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and won a silver medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taryne Mowatt</span> American softball player

Taryne Lee Mowatt is an American, former collegiate All-American, right-handed hitting, retired pro softball pitcher. Mowatt is the current pitching coach for Mississippi State. She played college softball at Arizona and helped them win the 2006 and 2007 Women's College World Series. From 2008 to 2013, Mowatt played professionally in National Pro Fastpitch, selected in the 2008 NPF draft by the Washington Glory. She ranks in several pitching categories for the Wildcats and holds the Women's College World Series records for strikeouts and wins.

Lovieanne Jung is a Filipino-American, former collegiate All-American, two-time medal winning Olympian, retired softball player. She began her college softball career at Fresno State as a second baseman, then transferred to Arizona and played as a shortstop. She represented the United States women's national softball team winning a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caitlin Lowe</span> Softball player

Caitlin Faith Lowe-Nagy is the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats softball team. Lowe is a former collegiate four-time first team All-American and medal winning Olympian. She played college softball for Arizona and led her team in back-to-back Women's College World Series championships in 2006 and 2007. She won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Lowe played with National Pro Fastpitch's USSSA Pride for six seasons, winning three titles and being named 2012 Player of the Year, before officially retiring in 2015.

Danielle Elaine Lawrie is a Canadian, former collegiate All-American, medal-winning Olympian, professional All-Star softball pitcher and current sports commentator. Lawrie played college softball at Washington, in which she was part of the 2009 Women's College World Series championship team and was named Most Outstanding Player. Lawrie currently plays for the Canada women's national softball team, including during the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she won a bronze medal.

Tammy Kay Williams is an American, former collegiate four-time All-American, four-time professional All-Star softball player and coach. She played her natural position at shortstop from 2006 to 2009 at Northwestern, as well as the Team USA and Chicago Bandits softball team. She owns Northwestern' softball team all-time career records in batting average, home runs, hits and total bases. She helped lead the Wildcats to a national runner up finish in the 2006 Women's College World Series. Williams was drafted tenth overall by the Chicago Bandits in the 2009 NPF Draft, winning two Cowles Cup championships in 2011 and 2015. She later worked as a sports broadcaster for the Big Ten and an assistant softball coach at Northern Illinois.

Kaitlin Elizabeth Cochran is an American, former collegiate four-time first team All-American, retired softball player. She attended Rosary High School and Arizona State University from 2006 to 2009, where she won the 2008 Women's College World Series title. Also with United States women's national softball team, she won four World Cup of Softball crowns. She holds various records for the Sun Devils in the Pac-12 Conference. She was drafted first overall in the National Pro Fastpitch but elected not to play. She is also one of nine NCAA Division I players to bat .400 with 200 RBIs, 50 home runs and an .800 slugging percentage for a career.

Keilani Johanna Ricketts Tumanuvao is an American, former collegiate All-American, pro All-Star left-handed hitting softball pitcher. She attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, and attended the University of Oklahoma from 2010-2013, where she was the starting pitcher and helped to lead the Sooners to the 2013 NCAA Division I national softball title. As a member of the United States women's national softball team she won 2011 World Cup of Softball. Ricketts currently plays for the USSSA Pride in the National Pro Fastpitch. She is the Sooners career leader in wins and strikeouts. She also ranks for career records in both the Big 12 Conference and the NCAA Division I, where she is one three players to win 100 games with 1,000 strikeouts and hit 50 home runs.

Jill Justin-Coffel is an American, former collegiate NCAA Division I All-American, right-handed hitting softball player, originally from Oak Lawn, Illinois. She played for the Northern Illinois Huskies softball team as an outfielder from 1986–89, partly in the Mid-American Conference and defunct North Star Conference. She and later was a medal-winning member of Team USA softball. She is the 4-year batting average champion for the NCAA and owns nearly all Huskie batting records.

Jenny Dalton-Hill is an American former collegiate All-American softball player and current sports commentator. She played for the Arizona Wildcats from 1993 to 1996 where she won three Women's College World Series championships. Having also played baseball, Dalton-Hill is a former member of the Colorado Silver Bullets and United States women's national baseball team, earning a bronze medal at the 2010 Women's Baseball World Cup. She holds the career Pac-12 and NCAA Division I records in RBIs. She is the first and one of nine NCAA players to hit .400 with 200 RBIs, 50 home runs and an .800 slugging percentage in her career.

Jennifer Ann Spediacci is an Italian-American, former collegiate All-American, 2004 Olympian, right-handed batting softball pitcher, originally from Fremont, California. She was a student athlete for the Washington Huskies from 1997-00 in the Pac-12 Conference, competing in four Women's College World Series and holding the school ERA record. She also who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Ali Viola is an American, former collegiate All-American softball player and coach. She played college softball for Nebraska from 1995 to 1998. She owns various records for the school and is one of ten NCAA Division I hitters to accumulate a career .400 batting average with 200 RBIs and 50 home runs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Chamberlain</span> American softball player

Lauren Nicole Chamberlain is an American retired softball infielder. Chamberlain played college softball for the Oklahoma Sooners softball from 2012 to 2015. A collegiate All-American, she was part of the 2013 Women's College World Series championship team. She is the NCAA Division I career leader in slugging percentage. She also holds the school and Big 12 Conference career lead in RBIs, walks, total bases and runs. She was drafted #1 and played professional softball for the USSSA Pride of National Pro Fastpitch from 2015 to 2018, winning a title in her final season in 2018.

The 1987 NCAA Division I softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 1987. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 1987 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 1987 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held in Omaha, Nebraska at Seymour Smith Park, ended on May 24, 1987.

Jessica "Jessie" Ireland Harper is an American, former collegiate All-American, softball player. Harper played college softball for Arizona from 2017 to 2021 at the shortstop position and co-holds the career home runs record for the school and conference with former teammate Katiyana Mauga. Harper is a four-time first-team all-conference honoree and also ranks second all-time for homers in the NCAA Division I. Harper redshirted her senior year in 2020 after the college season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to play in 2021. Harper was selected No. 6 in the Athletes Unlimited Softball draft.

Jocelyn Aloha Pumehana Alo is an American professional softball player for the Oklahoma City Spark of the Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF). She played college softball for the Oklahoma Sooners. Alo was named 2018 NFCA National Freshman of the Year, and named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. She is the NCAA Division I career leader in home runs. Alo was drafted first overall by the Smash It Vipers in the inaugural WPF draft.

Chelsea Gonzales is an American professional softball player of Mexican descent. She played college softball for Arizona State. She represented Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Baylee Klingler is an American college softball player for the Washington Huskies. As a senior in 2022, she won the Pac-12 Conference Triple Crown.

References

  1. ↑ "Topping To Redshirt Season After Tearing ACL". Gohuskies.com. 1999-02-25. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  2. ↑ "No. 4 Huskies Win Two More At Pepsi Arizona Classic". Gohuskies.com. 1999-02-06. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  3. ↑ "Michigan vs Washington". Gohuskies.com. 1999-02-19. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  4. ↑ "2000 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams". Nfca.org. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  5. ↑ "Four Huskies Earn All-American Honors". Gohuskies.com. 2000-05-24. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  6. ↑ "Husky Softball Earns Top Honors From Pac-10". Gohuskies.com. 2000-05-12. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  7. ↑ "NCAA Division I Softball 2000 Final Statistics". Ncaa.org. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  8. ↑ "Jenny Topping Earns NFCA Player of The Week Honors". Gohuskies.com. 2000-03-08. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  9. ↑ "Huskies Fall To Arizona, 4-2, in College World Series". Gohuskies.com. 2000-05-27. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  10. ↑ "Husky Softball Records & History" (PDF). Gohuskies.com. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  11. ↑ "2020 Pac-12 Softball Media Guide" . Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  12. ↑ "2001 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams". Nfca.org. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  13. ↑ "NCAA Division I Softball 2001 Final Statistics". Ncaa.org. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  14. ↑ "2001 Softball Quick Facts" (PDF). Grfx.cstv.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  15. ↑ "2002 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams". Nfca.org. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  16. ↑ "#9 Cal State Fullerton At NCAA Regionals" (PDF). Grfx.cstv.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  17. ↑ "Official Box Score #9 Cal St Fullerton 4, No. 8 Stanford 1". Gostanford.com. 2002-05-19. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  18. ↑ "2003 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams". Nfca.org. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  19. ↑ "Box Score Texas Tech vs Cal State Fullerton". Texastech.com. 2003-02-16. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  20. ↑ "Cal State Fullerton vs LSU (Feb 22, 2003)". Lsusports.net. 2003-02-22. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  21. ↑ "2004 Cal State Fullerton Softball" (PDF). Grfx.cstv.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-16. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  22. ↑ "2019 Record Book" (PDF). Cloudfront.net. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  23. ↑ "Big West Softball Record Book" (PDF). Bigwest.org. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  24. ↑ "Division I Softball Records" (PDF). Ncaa.org. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  25. ↑ "Aiming For Athens Tour". Teamusa.org. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  26. ↑ "Emotional Ride To US Softball Gold". Teamusa.org. 2004-08-23. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  27. ↑ "Jenny Topping". Teamusa.org. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  28. ↑ "2005 NPF All-Star Roster" (PDF). Isnmedia.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-03-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  29. ↑ "Bandits History". Chicagobandits.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  30. ↑ "Titans' Topping Headed To U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame". Fullertontitans.com. 2012-06-26. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.