April 19, 2011
SEATTLE - Head softball coach Heather Tarr announced the addition of a local outfielder to the 2012 team. Tara Bellusci from Anacortes, Wash., High School plays club ball with the Sidewinders. She is a lefty slapper at the plate but throws right handed. "Tara will bring us added depth to our outfield and speed to our offense," said Tarr. "She's a tremendous in-state asset to our program and we expect her to become a great Husky within our system." In 2009, she hit .559 in high school to lead the team and earned First-Team All-Area and NW Conference honors. She holds the school record for most hits (57) and stolen bases (36) in a season. In 2008 she made the conference honorable mention team and made the first team in 2009 and 2010. She has varsity lettered in fastpitch softball all four years of high school and earned First-Team All State and All-Area honors in 2010. Anacortes HS finished fifth at state in 2009 after winning the District Championship. Academically, Bellusci is equally as strong with a 3.5 GPA and plans to major in graphic design or architecture. She received her high school Art Departmental Award in 2009 and 2010, was the Junior Class VP and a four-time member of her high school honor roll. Outside of school and sports, she loves art, especially painting, composing portraits and photography. She also loves spending time in the outdoors with her family doing activities such as camping, hiking, fishing and canoeing. Bellusci expresses her excitement to join coach Tarr's team saying that the "University of Washington has always been my dream school. It has everything I'm looking for - incredible softball team, great academic opportunities, fabulous location, and close to home...and...purple really is my color...Combine all this with an amazing group of young women and a fantastic coaching staff and the University of Washington is my future waiting to happen. In addition to the incredible softball opportunity, the diversity in academics at the UW offers me a mind-blowing set of career options that I am excited to explore." Bellusci will join Courtney Gano, Kylee Lahners, Kimberlee Souza, and Kasey Stanchek as freshmen in 2012 who signed National Letters of Intent in November. |
