KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University's Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) of the softball team and George Weems (Cheltenham, Pa./Upper Dublin) of the track and field team have been voted as the 2019 KU Female and Male Freshmen of the Year.
 
Bailey makes it a clean sweep for KU softball in athlete recognition, joining Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent), who earned Athlete of the Year honors Thursday.
 
It didn't take long for Bailey to make her mark inside the circle and become the staff's ace. The Norwood native burst onto the scene with an 18-8 record, 2.60 earned run average and 181 strikeouts across 178 innings in 2019. She was voted Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Freshman of the Year and selected to the All-PSAC East Team by the conference's coaches.
 
Among all PSAC pitchers, Bailey ranked second in wins, second in innings pitched, second in strikeouts, fourth in opponent batting average (.229) and fourth in saves (3). Bailey's 181 strikeouts are second most by a freshman in team history (sixth most overall) and her 41 appearances rank third on KU's single-season list.
 
A two-time PSAC East Pitcher of the Week, Bailey totaled 15 complete games and three shutouts. She struck out a season-high 13 in a two-hit shutout of Millersville on April 22.
 
Weems joins teammate Luke Hoffman (York, Pa./West York Area) in giving 2019 KU Coach of the Year Ray Hoffman back-to-back Freshmen of the Year honorees.
 
The freshman sprinter Weems recorded six top-10 event finishes between the PSAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships during his first season with the Golden Bears. At the PSAC Indoor Championships, he ran the 200-meter dash in 22.12 to place fifth and secure the fifth-fastest time in the event in program history.
 
Weems was also a part of KU's sixth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay and took eighth in the 400m (50.05). Weems, of Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, went on to score three sixth-place finishes at the 2019 PSAC Outdoor Championships in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay.
 
Members of the KU athletic department staff voted upon the nominees to determine KU's year-end awards.
 
Male Freshman of the Year Award Winners
Year       Winner
1993       Jim Gerner, Baseball
1994       Charles Simpson, Track & Field
1995       Kevin Mobley, Football
1996       John Rozich, Baseball
1997       Steve Fitch, Baseball
1998       Kohlby O'Donnell, Wrestling
1999       Mike de Marteleire, Football
2000      Pete Mendez, Football
2001       Matt Rowan, Swimming
2002      Eric Hillbish, Swimming
2003      T.J. Mann, Basketball
2004      Jason Henley, Football
2005      Steve Tyson, Track & Field
2006      Dave Ben, Basketball
2007      Stephen Dennis, Basketball
2008      Ryan Washington, Basketball
2009      Shayne Houck, Baseball
2010       Kevin Morton, Football
2011        Rushi Amin, Tennis
2012       Brandan Clark, Wrestling
2013       Ziad Haddad, Wrestling
2014       Josh Johnson, Men's Basketball
2015       Steve Maine (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional), Cross Country / Track & Field
2016       Tajier Jefferson, Football
2017       Collin DiGalbo, Football
2018       Luke Hoffman (York, Pa./West York Area), Track & Field
2019       George Weems (Cheltenham, Pa./Upper Dublin), Track & Field
 
Female Freshman of the Year Award Winners
Year       Winner
1993       Nora Dollarton, Volleyball
1994       Deidre Lynn Rhodes, Track & Field
1995       Shannon Daggett, Field Hockey/Track
1996       Claudine Gruver, Swimming
1997       Angie Rideout, Volleyball/Track
1998       Brianne Homyak, Basketball/Softball
1999       Keri Suydam, Basketball
2000      Kellie Evans, Softball
2001       Jessie Didier, Volleyball/Track
2002      Sophia Vucetaj, Basketball
2003      Jessica May, Golf
2004      Molly Lare, Cross Country/Track
2005      Kim Kelty, Soccer
2006      Steph Denlinger, Softball
2007      Katlin Arbogast, Softball
2008      Ashley Pinter, Track and Field
2009      Chelsea Bressler, Women's Soccer
2010       Katie Lynch, Softball
2011        Erin Reynolds, Field Hockey
2012       Mary Kociencki, Softball
2013       Katie Catania, Track & Field
2014       Katie Miller, Soccer
2015       Danielle Amato, Softball
2016       Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent), Softball
2017       Maddie Mohr, Soccer
2018       Rylee Derr, Basketball
2019       Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), Softball