UW-Eau Claire softball teammates fourth-year outfielder Paige Lathrop and first-year pitcher Kasey Felden swept the softball Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Kwik Trip Athlete of the Week honors for the week April 6-12.
Felden earned the honors after earning two wins on the mound, throwing 13 scoreless innings in performances against the University of Northwestern St. Paul and UW-Oshkosh.
Lathrop went 7-12 at the plate, driving in five runs. Lathrop leads the team in stolen bases with 23 and stole five bases during the four game stretch.
Lathrop said the honor earned by Felden was deserved and being able to sweep the award was special.
“She has been working her butt off and I’m really proud of her,” Lathrop said. “It was really special to share that moment together [with] the team being able to celebrate the both of us.”
Lathrop is a rehabilitation science major from South Milwaukee, WI. In her fourth and final season with the Blugolds, Lathrop said getting more comfortable as the years have gone on has helped with her success this season.
“Just being confident in what I have and what my teammates are doing around me, that really helps me feel loose and play loose,” Lathrop said.
On the season, Lathrop has career high marks in batting average, on-base percentage and walks and has 17 multi-hit games. Her .495 batting average ranks ninth in all of NCAA D3 softball as of April 15.
Lathrop is a key contributor to a Blugold offense who leads the WIAC in every major offensive category. Lathrop said as she’s gotten older she has gained more of a leadership role within the program.
“Just trying to set that example for my teammates has been a motivator for me,” Lathrop said.
Felden, who is a part of a nine first-year athlete class, said Lathrop is someone she has looked up to.
“She sets a great example, and I think it’s really cool how a freshman and senior got recognized,” Felden said.
In her start against UW-Oshkosh on April 11, Felden recorded her first collegiate complete game, allowing zero runs on five strikeouts. Leading up to the game, Felden said she was both excited and nervous.
“I knew I just had to keep my composure and trust my pitches,” Felden said.
Felden leads the Blugolds pitching staff in ERA, WHIP and opponent batting average. In the month of April, Felden has allowed nine earned runs in 37 innings for an ERA of 1.70.
Felden said as the season has progressed, she has been focusing on throwing first pitch strikes.
“I think that’s really helped me throughout the season,” Felden said. “I think in the beginning I struggled and I’d always get behind.”
Felden is a nursing major from Franklin, Wisconsin, who graduated from Franklin high school in 2025. While in high school, Felden said she started talking to the Blugolds coaching staff while attending a pitching camp.
After that, Blugold coaches came to watch Felden play in her club’s tournaments. Felden later committed to UW-Eau Claire after receiving an offer from the coaching staff at a pitching camp.
Being a newcomer that has produced for the 25-9 Blugolds, Felden said the success feels good, but that it’s been a team effort.
“Being a pitcher, my defense makes good plays, [and] my catcher [calls] good games,” Felden said.
As the season goes on, Felden said she will need to keep trusting her pitches, knowing that her defense has her back.
Coming off last year when the program reached the NCAA D3 tournament, the Blugolds are 5-3 in conference play and are in third place in the WIAC. Their 25 wins this season is just four shy of last year’s win total of 25.
“We’ve already done a great job with our team chemistry and our team culture thus far,” Lathrop said. “It’s just a matter of building off of that every day and continuing to show up for one another because it does get to be a long season.”
Benes can be reached at [email protected].
