WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Kristen Berndt, a senior forward who led the Whitman College women's soccer team in scoring for a fourth consecutive season last fall, is one of four Missionaries to receive NCAA Div. III All-West Region honors.
Berndt, a three-time Northwest Conference first-team selection, was named to the All-Region First Team for a second straight season. She was chosen for the second team as a sophomore.
Berndt, a graduate of Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, Wash., finished third in the NWC scoring race last fall despite playing limited minutes early in the season due to chronic knee injuries. She finished her college career with 44 goals and 14, the highest scoring numbers at Whitman in more than two decades.
Corina Gabbert, a Whitman sophomore who played both forward and midfielder last fall, was named to the All-Region Second Team. She was picked for the regional third team a year ago in her first season at Whitman.
Gabbert, a graduate of Catlin Gabel School (Portland, Ore.), was Whitman's second-leading scorer last fall. She joined Berndt on the All-NWC First Team.
Two Whitman juniors, Kristen Mittelsteadt and Alisa Larson-Xu, were named to the latest All-Region Third Team.
Mittelsteadt, a graduate of Woodinville (Wash.) High School, was selected as a defender after moving into that role last fall after two seasons in the midfield.
Larson-Xu, a graduate of South Eugene (Ore.) High School, notched her all-region honors as a midfielder. She transferred to Whitman as a sophomore after one season as a starting defender at the University of California-Santa Cruz.
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) selects the All-Region teams. The adidas sporting goods company sponsors the awards program.
The Whitman women's team finished in a third-place tie in the NWC last fall with a 9-5-2 conference record.