The Linfield Wildcats saw a lot of success emerge from their women's teams this spring, but no student-athletes shone more brightly than Tayah Kelley and Bethany Shade. The two Wildcats shared the Linfield Female Co-Athletes of the Year for 2021-22.
 
Kelley and Shade both earned top honors in their respective sports. A native of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, Kelley was selected as the Northwest Conference Softball Pitcher of the Year while Shade, a Snohomish, Washington, native, earned NWC Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
A two-time First Team All-NWC selection, Kelley is 23-3 in the circle with two saves in 160 innings pitched. Her 23 wins are good for fourth in Division III. The junior ace leads the NWC with six shutouts, a .163 opposing batting average and a 1.36 ERA. She ranks No. 8 nationally with 21 complete games while also ranking No. 16 with 4.11 hits allowed per seven innings. Kelley has struck out 237 batters this season, a new Linfield single-season record. She surpassed the previous record of 231 set by Montana McNealy in 2015.
 
Linfield softball will head to Texas to compete in a four-team NCAA Division III regional tournament hosted by East Texas Baptist. Action begins at 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday against the host Tigers in the first round of the double-elimination tourney. The 'Cats went 36-7 overall and 25-3 in NWC play to claim the program's 17^th regular season championship. They followed that by going 3-0 in the NWC Tournament to earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championships. It's their eighth tournament title in 11 seasons and their 17th trip to the NCAA postseason in the last 18 seasons.
 
Shade earned her second straight First Team All-NWC nod after leading Linfield (12-5, 8-4 NWC) to a third-place finish in her senior campaign. The team's 12 wins are the most in school history since the 'Cats became a full-time NCAA program in 2007. Despite earning the Defensive Player of the Year award, Shade was also lethal on attack with 52 goals, 32 assists and 84 points, her 52 goals ranking tied for second in the NWC. 
 
Shade's 69 caused turnovers are tied for second in Division III. She also ranks seventh in the nation with 139 draw controls. The midfielder caused a career-high eight turnovers four times this season, setting the Linfield single-match record. She's Linfield's all-time leader in shots (261), shots on goal (218), ground balls (162), draw controls (338) and caused turnovers (141). Her 140 goals, 61 assists and 201 points all rank No. 2 in school history.