Julie Gerdes
Pitching Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
 
Former University of Northern Iowa standout pitcher Julie Gerdes joins the Panther softball staff as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.  Gerdes came to the Panther staff after serving as the pitching coach at Wartburg College from 2005 to 2007, and also assisting head coach Ryan Jacobs at Cedar Falls High School from 2004 to 2007.

As an assistant coach at Wartburg, Gerdes helped lead the Knights to a combined 102-23 record and two Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament championships, including a 2006 IIAC regular season title.  Not only did Gerdes assist with pitching at Wartburg from 2005-2007, she also helped Jacobs with pitching duties at Cedar Falls High School.  In 2007, Gerdes helped lead the Tigers' squad to a 32-10 mark; the squad was ranked as high as fifth in Iowa's Class 4A.

A 2000 graduate of Burlington High School, Gerdes began her collegiate softball career at Kirkwood Community College where she earned NJCAA Region XI first-team honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.  She also named to the National Coaches Association-Louisville Slugger All-American first team.  Gerdes' pitching record at Kirkwood was an impressive 41-10 over two seasons, helping Kirkwood to an 84-29 team record.

Following her career at Kirkwood, Gerdes joined the Panther pitching staff and tallied a 12-6 pitching record in her first season.  She threw over 100 innings in each of her years as a Panther, and posted 17 complete games, including 12 in her junior season.

Gerdes graduated from UNI in 2005 with a degree in Mathematics and taught at Cedar Falls High School from 2005 to 2007.

Stephanie Winter
Assistant Coach

Stephanie Winter will serve as an assistant coach for the UNI softball squad.  Winter was named to the Panthers' staff in July 2008.  Winter will be in charge of the Panthers' outfielders, and she will also assist with recruiting and hitting.

"We are very excited to have Stephanie on board with us.  She brings a lot of enthusiasm and desire with her," UNI head softball coach Ryan Jacobs said.  "She will add a new level of knowledge.  She will bring a lot of new ideas, and they are ideas from a well-known and successful program at Michigan."

Winter comes to UNI after spending the 2008 season as a student assistant at her alma mater, the University of Michigan.  She worked primarily with the Wolverine outfielders and assisted with the team's hitting.  As a player at Michigan, Winter was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, and she earned University of Michigan Academic Achievement awards all four seasons.  She played in four NCAA regionals in her career, advancing to the super regionals three times.  She also participated in two Women's College World Series, and was a member of the 2005 national championship team.

Winter, a native of St. Louis, MO, graduated from Michigan in May 2008 with a degree in kinesiology.