May 4, 2000

by Tommy Ventre
The Diamondback

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Cortney Madea(Northampton, Pa.) and Sarah Putnam(Chesapeake, Va.), two seniors who played integral roles in the Terrapin softball program's rise to national prominence, will be honored today in senior day ceremonies before the team's doubleheader with Florida State at the North Softball Complex today at 3 p.m.

This weekend -- including today's games and Saturday's doubleheader at Princeton -- marks the culmination of two standout careers that began in 1997, the program's third year of existence.

That year, Madea earned all-ACC honors and helped the Terps win a share of the ACC tournament for the first time in school history. They won 26 of 49 games, but things would only get better.

In 1998, the Terps went 28-22 and Madea continued to build her resume. In addition to being honored as an All-America Scholar Athlete for the second straight year, she was named to the All-Mid-Atlantic second team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

A year later the Terps broke through, winning 51 games and advancing through the NCAA regional tournament to within a game of the College World Series. It was a true watershed for a fledgling program, and Madea and Putnam were at the center of it.

Both were named to the NCAA All-Regional tournament team last year, but Putnam led the charge. In five games, the Chesapeake, Va., native went 6 for 11 and was error-free in 28 chances at the catching position.

Putnam turned heads again with her performance last weekend at the ACC tournament in Tallahassee, Fla. She was named to the All-Tournament team after going 4 for 12 with 3 RBI and helping the Terps win the most games at the ACCs since the 1997 co-championship.

Madea, a designated player from Northampton, Pa., will close her career in the top three of eight statistical categories for the Terps, including games played, games started, batting average, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and sacrifice flies. Her 110 RBI make her the only Terrapin to ever eclipse 100 in a career.

"I think a lot of good things have happened," Madea said. "The program has just come such a long way since my freshman year. Looking at the teams we had then compared to the team we have now, it's just amazing. And [the team's] only going to go on to bigger and better things."