The stats alone make Courtney Bongiolatti's 2005 Softball season at Tufts one for the record books. The senior shortstop hit .374 with 14 home runs and 45 runs batted in. The 14 home runs are tied for the fourth-most ever hit by a player in New England. It is also among the 25 best all-time single-season totals, according to the NCAA Softball Record Book. She graduated in May after tying the Tufts career records for home runs (32) and RBIs (123).

The record-setting season, which capped a record-setting career at Tufts by the Locust, New Jersey native, is even more impressive considering she played with a fracture in her lumbar spine. While this fracture is stable it is very painful especially when she is batting. In fact, Bongiolatti has rarely played in any of the 140 games of her Tufts career without some kind of discomfort. Other chronic injuries that she has had to deal with since her freshman year include having accessory naviculars in both feet. The right foot has always been a constant source of pain since she has an extra bone in her foot. Basically any type of running or impact activities causes pain for her.

Most seriously, in January 2003 she had surgery for a lymph node removal and biopsy. A lumbar puncture was done right before we left for California. Usually the recommended recovery time is 3-4 weeks, but she was able to play 3 days after having that done. In March of 2002 she suffered a collision in a  game while running the bases. Though xrays were negative for a fracture she injured the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum. This is another chronic condition that can cause pain and disability that she played through, missing just four games in her career.

"Watching Courtney play this year was like watching a woman possessed at times," said Coach Cheryl Milligan. "Struggling with a very painful stress fracture in her back, Courtney played better defense at a very important shortstop position than she ever has, and learned to demolish the outside pitch that had been keeping her from reaching her full potential."

An English major with a grade point average over 3.0, Bongiolatti was named a First Team All-American, the first in Tufts Softball history.