ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 11, 2001- Six Nittany Lion softball players earned all-Big Ten honors which was announced Thursday night at the annual Big Ten Tournament banquet. Senior Allison Medellin (San Pablo, Calif./DeAnza), junior Jennifer Tripken (Middletown, N.Y./Minisink Valley) and sophomore Megan Humphrey (San Diego, Calif./Mount Carmel) were all named second team all-conference. Sophomores Erin Norton (Orange, Calif./El Modena) and Kelley Galigher (Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill) and senior Karen Gulini (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) were picked third team.

Medellin had a perfect fielding percentage at second base during Big Ten play. She was also second on the team in batting in conference action. A first team selection a year ago, she has been the most consistent player on the squad the last four seasons for Penn State. She leaves as the all time leader in at bats, second in career hits and eighth in career RBI.

Tripken bumps up to second team after earning third team honors the past two seasons. She posted a 12-game hitting streak during the season and hit .290 in Big Ten games. Earning the honor at third base, she has been the team's top performer at the position the last three seasons.

Humphrey earns the Big Ten honor for the first time in her career. She posted a team-best 15 RBI in Big Ten games. She broke the Penn State single-season mark for doubles with 15. Sixth in the conference in hitting and fifth in RBI, Humphrey led the team in batting and RBI in all games this season.

Norton earns third team honors for the second-straight season. She led Penn State in hitting in Big Ten games with a .377 average. She was also second behind Humphrey with 12 RBI in those games. A starter at first base for the majority of the last two seasons, she also led the team in hits in Big Ten action.

Galigher is also a first timer on the all-Big Ten team. Selected as an outfielder, she has also made starts at third base. She averaged .321 in conference games which was third-best on the team. Galigher stepped in and filled a void left behind be junior outfielder Gina Bianchini who sat out all but four games of the 2001 campaign because of an injury.

Gulini picks up the third all-conference honor of her career. She has left a dent in the record books, becoming the first Nittany Lion to be named all-American last year. She finishes her career at Penn State second in career stolen bases, third in career hits and fifth in stolen bases.

The Lions have ended their season with a 32-26 record and a fifth place finish in the Big Ten. Penn State made its third-consecutive appearance in the Big Ten Tournament, going 2-2 in postseason play. PSU will wait for Sunday's selection show to see if it gets a bid for the NCAA Tournament which begins May 18.