University of Wisconsin - Madison

University of Wisconsin I/C Athletics
Kellner Hall - 1440 Monroe Street Madison, WI 53711

Division 1 Wisconsin Midwest

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Coaches

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Yvette Healy

Yvette Healy enters her ninth season at the helm of the program with the highest winning percentage of any UW coach in the program’s 21-year history with a .602 winning percentage (257-170-1).

For the second year in a row, Wisconsin earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2018. The Badgers finished seventh in the Big Ten with an 11-9 conference record, highlighted by the program's first-ever series sweep of Nebraska. Healy collected her 250th-career win at Wisconsin on April 22, 2018.

With a 35-17 record in 2017, Wisconsin reached the NCAA Tournament and playing for the regional championship for the third time in five years. The Badgers started the season with seven-straight wins, the best start in program history, and went on to record a program-best 13-game road win streak from Feb. 25 to March 25, 2017. Healy secured her fifth season with 30-or-more wins with the Badgers, the most of any UW softball coach. The team topped the record books in RBI (250) and walks (212) while ranking in the top-10 for several categories.

Under her tutelage, Chloe Miller became the program’s first-ever NFCA All-American, the first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist, and the second-ever NFCA Player of the Week and NPF Draft pick (No. 11, Akron). In her senior year, Miller became the program’s all-time leader in career multi-RBI games (53), career RBI (181), career home runs (31), and runs (145), ranking second all-time with 215 career hits and 57 career multi-hit games.

Healy’s 2016 squad faced nine top-25 teams, securing a 5-3-1 record against its ranked foes. The Badgers batted in 244 runs in 2016, just three RBI shy of the all-time season record, while tallying the third-most runs (265) and walks (196) all-time. Senior Taylor-Paige Stewart single-handedly achieved four saves on the mound, tying the program’s team season record.

Wisconsin has had a total of 12 first-team All-Big Ten selections in program history with 10 of those coming in the Healy era. Kelsey Jenkins, who earned back-to-back first-team All-Big Ten accolades in 2015 and 2016 and again in 2018, was the first freshman in UW history to collect the honor.

Healy has helped her players seen just as much success off the field as she has on the field. The Badgers have received a total of 44 combined Academic All-Big Ten recognitions in the last seven seasons.

The 2016 senior class recorded 129 wins in four seasons, the third-most wins by any Wisconsin class, while the 2015 senior class went down as the second-winning class in school history with 135 victories. In the last six seasons, Wisconsin has had four 30-plus win seasons after only previously having five 30-plus win campaigns in 15 seasons.

In 2015, the Badgers clinched the highest season on-base percentage (.389) in school history and claimed the Wisconsin single-season walks record (176). The season also the season record for stolen bases shattered (118 stolen bases) along with setting the highest single-season batting average (.296).

Healy entered the 2015 season having led the team to its second consecutive NCAA Regional Championship. Healy directed the team to the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons, which had only been done once before by UW in 2001 and 2002 and only a total of three times in the history of the program.

At the end of the 2014 season, the Badgers finished in two final national polls for just the fourth time in the program’s 19-year history and the second consecutive year. UW came in at No. 24 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 and received votes in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 for the eighth time in the season. Wisconsin finished the 2014 season at No. 32 in the NCAA Softball Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), after facing nine of the 31 teams who posted a higher RPI ranking.

The 2014 season boasted the second-highest win total (36) in school history. The Badgers defeated six ranked opponents and tied with the 1997 team for the most top-25 wins in a season. UW won four NCAA tournament games over the last three seasons, having won one in the program’s first 19 years of existence. For just the second time in program history, the team achieved a pair of NCAA tournament wins matching their run in 2013.

The conclusion of the 2014 season marked the end of incredible careers for Cassandra Darrah, Mary Massei, Michelle Mueller and Stephanie Peace. Under Healy, the senior class went down in the history books as the most winningest class in UW history at 144-75.

The 2007 Horizon League Coach of the Year, Healy guided the Loyola (Ill.) Ramblers to a top-four conference finish in every season she was at the helm. She has coached four NFCA All-Mideast Region players over the last four seasons, and the team set the single-season school record for batting average (.292) in 2010. Healy’s team also set single-season Loyola records for stolen bases (116) and home runs (37) in 2009.

As Healy was winning coach of the year honors in the Horizon League in 2007, the team was capturing the conference title with a 14-5 record. Pitcher Amy Solava was also named the league’s pitcher of the year, just the third player in school history to earn the award.

Off the field, Healy was instrumental in the team’s community service participation. She was a part of numerous campaigns to give back, including the Strike Out Cancer Fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Healy’s teams have also excelled in the classroom. The 2010 team was the recipient of the 2010 NCAA Academic Performance Program APR Award, while nine players in her time were named Academic All-District by ESPN the Magazine and 25 were chosen as Scholar Athletes by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

She took over as head coach at Loyola in July of 2004 after spending two seasons as an assistant at her alma mater, DePaul. While with the Blue Demons, Healy coached five All-Americans as the team won the Conference USA title in 2003 and 2004 to make the NCAA tournament.

A two time All-American and three-time Academic All-American as a player, Healy ranks second on the DePaul single-season chart with a .424 batting average and is the school’s all-time leader with 102 stolen bases. In her senior campaign in 1999, Healy led the Blue Demons to a school-record 54 victories, an NCAA Regional Championship and the College World Series as the team wrapped up the year ranked third in the nation. She earned All-Mideast Region honors on three occasions as well.

Prior to her collegiate coaching career, Healy worked for the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox Academy as Director of Marketing. She also served as head softball coach at her alma mater Providence Catholic High School, where she was the salutatorian at her graduation in 1995.

Healy graduated cum laude and earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and communications from DePaul in 1999 and her master’s in secondary education and English from DePaul in 2007. She and her husband Shawn have been married since 2006. They currently reside in Madison with their two daughters, Grace and Maeve.

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Danielle Zymkowitz

Danielle Zymkowitz is in her fourth season as an associate head coach for the Badgers.

In the 2019 season, Zymkowitz coached the team to the second-most wins in program history with also being the fastest team to 30 wins. This team went 43-14 overall and 15-8 in conference play. Zymkowitz coached the team to their third consecutive NCAA tournament where the team had a win against No. 1 seed Oklahoma.

She helped Big Ten player of the year Kayla Konwent to make noise with the bat, posting 15 home-runs on the season and a .459 batting average. In 2019 she also helped Badger's catcher, Taylor Johnson to be a first team All-Big Ten selection in her sophomore season. Johnson was second on the team in home-runs and batting average.

Zymkowitz helped Wisconsin to its second-straight NCAA Tournament with a 29-23 record in 2018. The Badgers also went 11-9 in Big Ten play, their best conference winning percentage since 2014.

Kelsey Jenkins and Brooke Wyderski led the Badgers at the plate during their senior seasons. The dynamic duo ranked first and second on the team in batting average, hits, doubles and RBI. Jenkins also led the Big Ten during the regular season in batting average (.420) and on base percent (.578).

Coach Z also helped develop freshman Taylor Johnson into one of the most feared Badger bats. Johnson led the team with eight homers on the season and ranks top-five on the freshman single-season records list for home runs, RBI, walks, stolen bases, sacrifice flies and stolen base percentage.

In her first year in the dugout, the Badgers completed a 35-17 season and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. Wisconsin hitters saw great success in 2017 under Zymkowitz’s guidance, recording the most RBI, walks and sacrifice flies of any season, as well as ranking in the top-10 in hits, doubles, and home runs.

Chloe Miller held the nation’s best batting average through the first half her senior campaign, becoming the program’s second-ever NFCA Player of the Week and NPF Draft pick in 2017. Miller, Wisconsin’s record-holder for career multi-RBI games, career RBI, career home runs and runs, became the first NFCA All-American in Wisconsin softball history.

Wisconsin saw success at the plate from juniors Kelsey Jenkins and Brooke Wyderski in 2017 as well, both earning a spot on the NCAA Tournament All-Region team and the NFCA All-Great Lakes Region team. Jenkins, a three-time All-Big Ten selection, has the program’s best on-base percentage and the most walks in addition to having the longest reached-base streak in UW history. Wyderski, a transfer in 2017, made an immediate impact with the Badgers’ second-best batting average, slugging percentage and RBI.

“Danielle’s character, energy, enthusiasm, ability to motivate others and creative approach to teaching the game makes her a rising star in the coaching profession,” head coach Yvette Healy said. “Coach Z's playing roots and travel ball connections in the state of California will be critical to our program’s success.

“Beyond her West Coast recruiting ties, Danielle was a standout scholar-athlete in the Big Ten. She was an All-American at the University of Illinois, leading her team to two NCAA Championships. Danielle truly understands what it takes to be a successful student-athlete in our conference.”

The West Hills, California, native served two years as an assistant coach for the University of Toledo, most recently helping the team to its first winning league record (12-11) in 19 years, as well as the program’s first Mid-American Conference tournament berth since 2013. Zymkowitz worked with the Rockets’ infielders, including junior second baseman Chandler Rice, who earned first-team All-MAC honors both years under Zymkowitz’s guidance.

Zymkowitz brings a wealth of playing experience, holding program career records at the University of Illinois for batting average (.384), hits (277), runs scored (202), stolen base attempts (106), stolen bases (91) and stolen base percentage (.858). As a three-year captain and a member of the Illini Leadership Academy, Zymkowitz led her squad to back-to-back regional appearances. She was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association third-team All-American as a sophomore and a senior, becoming the first two-time NFCA All-American in program history. She was also a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection during her career.

While finishing her bachelor’s degree in communications, Zymkowitz began her coaching career as a student assistant for the Illini and then went on to earn her Master of Sports Administration while serving as an assistant coach at Farleigh Dickinson University.

Currently in her seventh season as a member of the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch league, Zymkowitz earned a starting job in her first year with the Bandits at second base and a Rookie of the Year nomination after earning all-NPF honors. During her time in Chicago, the Bandits won the 2011, 2015 and 2016 NPF Championships and the 2013 regular season championship.

“As a current professional athlete in the NPF league for the past six seasons, Danielle has surrounded herself with some of the top athletes in our sport, learning from and training with the best softball players in the world,” Healy added. “In addition to her personal playing experience, Danielle has four years of Division I college coaching experience, earning her master’s degree while coaching. She is a true student of the game and person of extraordinary character and integrity. Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious.”

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Kirsten Verdun

Kirsten Verdun is in her fifth season as an associate head coach for the Badgers, working primarily with the pitching staff.

In the 2019 season, Verdun helped her pitchers to an overall 43-14 record. Verdun helped Kaitlyn Menz have a season high of 10 strikeouts against Texas Southern. Menz was named to the second team All-Big Ten. The team had a season high of 13 strikeouts against Indiana. Wisconsin posted their second most wins in program history, including a win against No. 1 Oklahoma.

During the 2018 season, Verdun mentored one of the most dynamic pitching duos in program history. She helped freshman Haley Hestekin to a 17-7 (.708) record during her rookie season for the second-best winning percentage in team history and best by a freshman. Sophomore Kaitlyn Menz led the team in strikeouts with 115 fanned batters on the season. Hestekin and Menz combined for seven shutouts.

Hestekin and Menz both earned Big Ten honors in 2018. Hestekin was named to the All-Big Ten second team and freshman team while Menz earned All-Big Ten defensive team honors.

In 2017, Verdun guided rookie Kaitlyn Menz through 35 starts in 38 appearances, the second-most starts in a single season by a UW pitcher. Menz collected 24 victories in the circle, the third-most by a Badger pitcher and the second-most by a rookie, and became just the second-ever freshman to throw a no-hitter when Wisconsin topped Louisville on March 22.

Menz and senior Kirsten Stevens each earned weekly Big Ten honors during the 2017 season, and the pitching staff as a whole locked up the fifth-most shutouts in program records.

In her first year at Wisconsin, Verdun coached Taylor-Paige Stewart to second team All-Big Ten and NFCA Great Lakes All-Region second team honors. Verdun guided Stewart as she became UW’s career leader in saves and clinched the fifth-most career wins in school history.

Verdun, a former graduate assistant coach at Louisville, brought a new perspective to Madison after spending one year with the Cardinals where she assisted the coaches with office duties, practice drills, youth camps and game day operations.

After graduating in 2014, Verdun played professionally for one year with the Chicago Bandits. She signed with the Bandits via open tryouts in May 2014 and made her National Pro Fastpitch league debut in the circle against the Akron Racers on May 30, 2014. She pitched the Bandits to her first win against the Pennsylvania Rebellion in a complete game outing on July 26, 2014.

She posted a 1-0 record with one save and 13 strikeouts in her first season with the Bandits. In her 2015 campaign with the Bandits, Verdun tossed a complete game shutout in the Bandits’ NPF opener against the Rebellion.

Before taking her talents to Louisville, Kentucky and the NPF, Verdun was a standout at DePaul University. The two-time All-American (2012 and 2014) helped DePaul to two NCAA regional final appearances and the 2014 Big East Conference regular season and tournament titles.

“Kirsten is a go-getter,” Healy said. “She’s driven, competitive, and knows how to win. Anytime you can add someone to your staff who was both an Athletic and Academic All-American, you’re lucky.”

Verdun was named the 2014 Big East Pitcher of the Year in addition to being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Championship.

The star-studded pitcher became the first pitcher in program history to accumulate 900-innings with more than 900 strikeouts and 100 or more wins. She still holds the Blue Demons’ school record for career starts, strikeouts looking and batters faced, while finishing second in the record books in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, appearances and complete games.

The four-time all-conference and all-Great Lakes Region selection was a double threat in the circle and at the plate. Verdun, who held a .347 career hitting percentage, knocked out 37 home runs and ranks second in DePaul’s record books. She holds the record for most career walks with 156.

“Kirsten had more than 100 wins in the circle, and hit nearly 40 homeruns in her career at DePaul, while leading her team to three NCAA Regional Championship games,” Healy added. “Her experience coaching at the University of Louisville with Sandy Pearsall and Jay Miller really helped prepare her for this opportunity. Yet beyond all of Kirsten’s success as a collegiate and professional athlete for the Chicago Bandits, it’s truly her character, passion and enthusiasm that we’re most excited about.”

Verdun was just as successful in the classroom as she was in the circle. The Big East Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2014, Verdun was named to the DePaul University Dean’s List eight consecutive quarters, the DePaul University Athletic Director’s honor roll every quarter and landed a spot on the Big East All-Academic team from 2011-2014.

The Coal City, Illinois native was also a pitching and hitting instructor in Coal City, giving lessons and running camps for young athletes to teach them proper techniques and skills. In the summer of 2013, Verdun worked with the Joliet Slammers as a promotions intern, assisting with all pre-game, in-game and postgame promotions.

Verdun graduated from DePaul in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media with a minor in applied economics.

Verdun is the daughter of Brad and Judy Verdun and has one older brother, Ryan.