Millikin Athletics
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Katie Tenboer was named the Millikin Head Softball Coach in 2015. Tenboer was joined her former assistant coach Whitney Sowers as Co-Head Coach prior to the 2018 season. In addition to coaching softball, Tenboer will work with Millikin's Office of Admission. In October 2024, Tenboer was named Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Women's Administrator.
In her second season leading the Big Blue program, Tenboer led Millikin to a 32-12 record and a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Regular Season Championship in 2017. The Big Blue posted a 14-2 conference record earning Tenboer and Assistant Coach Whitney Sowers the CCIW Softball Coaching Staff of the Year Award. Playing in first season at the Workman Family Softball Field, the Big Blue posted an impressive 14-0 home regular season record. In 2018, Millikin posted a 22-14 record and the Big Blue went 26-12 in 2019 breaking into the Top 25 national rankings during the season.
In the 2021 season, the Big Blue were both the CCIW regular season and tournament champions with a 31-13 overall record and a 24-8 conference record. Millikin went 4-0 in the CCIW tournament to advance to their second NCAA tournament appearance in program history and finished the season ranked 20th in the nation. Tenboer and Sowers were named the CCIW coaching staff of the year in the historic season and played host to the NCAA Division III Decatur, Ill. Regional at the Workman Family Softball Field.
Tenboer was a standout collegiate infielder at NCAA Division III powerhouse Central College in Iowa. She was named an NFCA All-American in 2010 and 2011 and was the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Position Player of the Year in 2010.
At Central, Tenboer played under Head Coach George Wares, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division III history with over with over 1,000 career victories. Tenboer started all 176 games in her career helping Central to a 129-47 record winning two conference championships and advancing to the NCAA Tournament three times. In 2010 Tenboer hit .381 with 40 RBIs and eight homeruns. As a senior, Tenboer hit a team high .414 with a then school record 48 RBIs, 11 doubles, and seven homeruns leading her team to a conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth. Tenboer had 159 hits during her time at Central with a .340 career batting average. She is number two all-time at Central in career homeruns with 21 and career RBIs with 140.
Tenboer coaching experience has been on both the collegiate and youth softball level. In 2012-13 she served as the Offseason Pitching Coach for Central College and she has worked at Central’s Summer Softball Camps for five seasons.
Tenboer has been a successful head coach for two youth travel teams. She led the 12U team, the Iowa Adrenaline, in Pella, Iowa and then was the head coach for the nationally recognized 14U Quad City Firebirds where she compiled a 52-15 record and a seventh place National Tournament finish in 2014.
Tenboer earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art-Graphic Design at Central College in 2011 where she was a Presidential Scholar. She earned a Masters of Organizational Leadership in Higher Education at St. Ambrose University.
