#WCW: Mary Iakopo, Oregon Softball

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It’s Woman Crush Wednesday, which means it’s time to take a look at the college sports world and appreciate some of the standout athletes across the nation. Every week, we feature an athlete that stands out among their peers. This week, we feature Mary Iakopo, a freshman catcher for the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks, which sits at 47-7 on the season. TThe Ducks won the Pac-12 conference and have the most wins over Top RPI teams in Division I this season. They also enter the NCAA Division I Softball Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed in the bracket.
Iakopo, who was a Pac-12 All-Freshman and Second Team All-Pac 12 honoree, along with being an NFCA National Freshman of the Year Top 25 Finalist, contributed to the Ducks’ success and has received plenty of praise from the coaching staff.
“Mary is one of the strongest catchers in the country with a cannon arm. She also has the versatility to play the outfield as well. Her hitting has really improved under the guidance of Tony Rico. She’s a good gap hitter from the right side,” Ducks head coach Mike White said.
Prior to signing with Oregon, Iakopo competed for the USA Junior National Team in the World Cup of Softball. She also helped her club team, the Firecrackers, earn the PGF U18 Premier National title thanks to a three-run homer in the championship game.
When she’s off the diamond, Iakopo has started a donation page to raise money for childhood cancer research as a volunteer for the St Baldrick’s Foundation. She writes:

I’m raising money for childhood cancer research! Did you know that kids’ cancers are different from adult cancers? It’s true. And childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. So I decided to do something about it by raising money for cures.
Now I need your help! Will you make a donation? Every dollar makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancers.

You can check out more photos of Mary Iakopo below, and be sure to hit that follow button on her Instagram account:

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