Lions sign seven for softball team

Vanguard University has signed seven players for the Lions’ softball

team for the 2004 season. Incoming freshmen for the fall of 2003

include Jennifer Olvera, Heather Durham, Judy Bell, Rachel Bomgren,

Melissa Benson, Jenny Buzbee, and Catherine Buttrey, all of whom are

from California.

Olvera comes to Vanguard from Gilroy High, where she played

softball and basketball. On the diamond, Olvera is primarily a

pitcher, but also plays outfield and shortstop. She was her high

school team’s Most Valuable Player.

Durham, Bell, Bomgren, Buzbee, and Buttrey are all Southern

California players, ranging from south Orange County to Imperial

County.

Durham played volleyball and softball for Mission Viejo in the

South Coast League and is competing in travel ball this summer for

the American Athletics. She brings versatility to the Lions as she

can play second base, first base, and the outfield.

Bell is a catcher from Notre Dame High in Riverside. The backstop

has been an All-De Anza League pick and will focus the majority of

her attention on catching for the Lions. She plans to major in

business administration.

Bomgren reaped loads of laurels as a two-sport athlete at Orange

Lutheran. She was the team captain for softball as a senior and was

chosen to the Orange County All-Star team at the conclusion of the

season.

The 5-foot-10 shortstop helped Orange Lutheran earn two CIF

Southern Section Division IV titles in her career. She was the CIF

Division IV Player of the Year in 2002.

Buzbee is from Lakewood and attended Calvary Chapel of Downey. The

left-hander played outfield and first base. She anticipates pursuing

a degree in liberal studies at Vanguard.

Buttrey brings in a 3.95 grade point average to study pre-physical

therapy at Vanguard. The National Honor Society member was also a

four-year member of the California Scholarship Federation in addition

to her three-sport participation at Paraclete High.

Buttrey was a four-year all-Alpha League softball player and

helped Paraclete win two Alpha League championships.

Benson joins the team from Redding, where she was a two-sport

athlete at Foothill High. She was her team’s captain in 2003 and made

the senior All-Star game for the Eastern Athletic League. The catcher

earned an all-league and all-section selection as a junior, and

achieved a 3.57 GPA in the classroom.

“This class of freshmen has the potential to make a big impact on

the future of our softball program,” said Coach Beth Renkoski. “They

are a talented and versatile group and I look forward to seeing how

they will help us not only in 2004, but for the next four years.”