641-673-1707
christnerm@wmpenn.edu

Mike Christner enters his eighth season as head women's softball coach this coming spring.

Christner has guided his team to two NAIA national tournaments in the past three years and seven consecutive Region VII Tournament appearances.  The winningest coach in program history, he owns a 281-136 (.673) career coaching record.

Christner, a two-time Region VII Coach of the Year, was at the helm during the most successful campaign in program history in 2005 when the squad advanced to its first-ever national tournament. Under his guidance, the Lady Statesmen broke numerous individual and team records, including wins in a season, as Penn finished the 2005 year at 51-22.

Christner served eight years as an assistant baseball coach prior to becoming the head softball coach and now currently also serves as an assistant athletics director.

Christner, a 1985 graduate of Penn with a B.A. in recreation, is originally from Sigourney. He also has an A.A. from Indian Hills. Christner worked at Penn from 1984-88 and then went to work for UPS from 1988-98. He managed a business in his hometown from 1998-99 before returning to Penn. He was an assistant high school softball coach for three years, the men's softball ASA commissioner of the Ottumwa district for ten years, and an all-conference infielder his senior season at Northeast Missouri State. He played in ten ASA national tournaments and ISC world championships. Christner has also coached ASA girls softball for four years, with one of his teams placing third in the state.

Christner lives in Oskaloosa with his wife Cammie. The couple has three children: Steph, Ryne, and Matt.