Athletes - Lisa Fernandez

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	Athletes - Lisa Fernandez

Lisa Fernandez, born February 22, 1971, in New York City, is a renowned softball pitcher of Cuban-Puerto Rican descent who established an Olympic record in softball with 25 strikeouts as a member of the United States Women Olympic Softball Team.

Lisa's father immigrated from Cuba, where he used to play baseball. In New York he met Lisa's mother who had immigrated from Puerto Rico and whom he married. Lisa's mother played stick ball, a form of Ghetto baseball played with a broom stick and a rubber ball, with her brother in the streets. Even though Lisa was a good student at school, it was only natural that she developed a love for baseball with the encouragement of both her parents. She began playing in 1979 at the age of 8. In 1983, when she was 12 years old, she played in a local childrens league and when she tried out for the position of pitcher, her coach told her that she would never make it because she didn't have the right size and build. In 1986, Lisa and her family moved to Lakewood, California where she attended St. Joseph High School. She joined her school's girl softball team and she and her teamates led the school to the CIF Championship.

Upon graduating from high school, she was accepted to the University of California, Los Angeles, where she played softball and earned a degree in psychology. She lead her team to the 1994 Women's College World Series Championship. Not long afterwards, she was recruited by the representatives of the U.S. Women's Olympic Softball Team.

In 1990, Lisa won a gold medal at the ISF (International Softball Federation) World Championship. Among her other accomplishments are:

1991, gold medal at the Pan American Games

1994, gold medals at ISF World Championships and Pan Am Quilifier

Led UCLA to two NCAA Women's College World Series Titles

Four time NCAA All-American

NCAA Top VI Award presented to the top six senior student athletes in all divisions

1993, Honda-Broderick Cup winner, country's most outstanding collegiate female athlete

1991-93, Three-time Honda Award winner for softball presented to the nations best softball player;1996

Olympic gold medal in the 1996 Olympics celebrated in Atlanta, Georgia

1998, gold medal at Pan American Games; 2000

Olympic gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics celebrated in Australia where she established a 25 strikeout record in women's softball

2002, gold medal at the ISF World Championships

2003, gold medal at the Pan American Games

2004, Olympic gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics celebrated in Greece.

On April 24, 2001, the Lakewood City Council recognized Lisa as one of the most remarkable athletes ever to come from the playgrounds and ball diamonds of Lakewood. The city council named the ball field at Mayfair Park in honor of the Lakewood Sports Hall of Fame Athlete of the Year Lisa Fernandez.

Lisa is currently the coach for the women's softball team at UCLA and Color Analyst for ESPN. She is married and resides in Long Beach, California.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Lisa Fernandez ]

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Athletes - Lisa Fernandez

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