December 11, 2006
Release courtesy of Larry Happel, Central College sports information director and Matt Turk, Simpson College sports information director

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . Central College’s George Wares and Simpson College’s Henry Christowski will be inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) College Softball Hall of Fame next year. The induction is the NFCA’s highest honor. Along with American International College head coach Judy Groff, the trio will comprise the NFCA Hall of Fame Class of 2007. The formal induction will occur during the 2007 NFCA Convention which will be conducted in the Winter of 2007.

Wares has piloted the Dutch to four NCAA Division III championships. In 21 seasons as Central's head coach, he's compiled a lofty 753-243-3 record (.757) and ranks second among active Division III coaches in career victories, first in NCAA playoff appearances (20) and first in NCAA playoff victories (79).

In addition to winning crowns in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 2003, Wares led Central to second-place national finishes in 1986 and 2001. His squads have earned 20 NCAA tournament berths, finishing in the national top five 12 times. Central has won or shared nine Iowa Conference titles.

Wares and his assistants were named the NFCA Div. III coaching staff of the year in 2003, after taking regional honors in 2001. For three years, he served on the NFCA Div. III All-America Selection Committee, including two years as chair.

A 1976 Central graduate and a Pleasantville native, Wares spent seven years as girls' softball coach at NESCO High School in Zearing , Iowa , posting a 214-94 record and piloting three squads to state tournament berths. He was named all-area coach of the year three times. His combined high school-college softball record is 967-337-3.

Reaction from Wares’ former players-- Brenda Vigness Coldren, head softball coach at Indiana State University, earned all-America honors as a Central pitcher in 1989 and also played for Wares at NESCO High School .

“Being inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame is a great honor that George truly deserves,” Coldren said. “Not only has he made a huge impact on the development of collegiate softball, but more importantly, in the lives of the players he has coached.”

Laura Bach Olson, a member of NCAA championship Central squads in 1991 and 1993 as a catcher, is head softball coach at Loyola High School in Mankato, Minn., where she has piloted two squads to state championships.

“Coach Wares has an unparalleled ability to build a team that strives for goals by developing young women who trust each other, trust themselves and commit to each other,” Olson said. “Rarely were our practices dominated by talk of wins and losses. The talks were more typically about the satisfaction that comes from helping others do their best or the feelings that come from a season in which everyone works together and leaves it all on the field.
“Playing for Coach Wares is about more than learning how to hit, field and throw; it is an experience that teaches you how to live, love and succeed.”

Wares also served as a high school boys' basketball coach for 18 years, including seven at NESCO and 11 at Pella High School . He compiled a 259-106 career record, earning four state tournament berths, with two state runner-up finishes. He served for four seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach at Central.

A highly regarded motivational speaker, Wares received his master's degree in counseling from Iowa State University and worked as an at-risk counselor at Pella High School and as an academic counselor at Central.

Christowski is in his 12th season as head coach at Simpson. Christowski has compiled a 368-90-2 record (a .802 winning percentage). Christowski’s winning percentage is the second best among active Division III coaches and is third in the history of Division III coaching. His winning percentage is the eighth best in the history of softball in all divisions.

Christowski’s win total is the 32nd among active Division III coaches. Christowski is the only coach in NCAA softball history (all divisions) to win at least 200 games in his first five years as a head coach (201). He became the all-time winningest coach at Simpson on Mar. 29, 2002 when the Storm defeated Webster (Mo.) 2-0. When Simpson defeated Dubuque in game one of their Apr. 7, 2004 doubleheader, Christowski reached the 300-win plateau faster than any other Division III coach in history (362 games). St. Thomas (Minn.) head coach John Tschida is believed to have held the old record as Tschida won his 300th game in 2003 in his 366th career game.

Christowski's charges have appeared in six NCAA Division III national tournaments (1996-2000, 2006), won four Division III regional titles (1996-99), won four Iowa Conference championships (1997-00), and have won two NCAA Division III National Championships (1997, 1999). Christowski and his coaching staff were named 1999 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) “Coaching Staff of the Year.” The Simpson coaching staff earned the NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year award in 1998 and 1999. Christowski was named 1997 NFCA Division III National Coach of the Year.

Christowski was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame during the Summer of 1999. In 26 years on the prep level, Christowski accumulated a 879-419 (a .677 winning percentage) record. The 879 wins are the ninth most in state history. His teams made eight state tournament appearances and won nine conference championships.

During his eight-year stint (1989-1996) at West Des Moines Dowling High School the Maroons were 272-70. He led Dowling to their first state championship in 1992 with a 50-2 record. For his efforts, he was voted district and state Coach of the Year by the Iowa Athletic Coaches Association. A follow-up appearance in the state tournament landed the Maroons a runner-up finish in 1993. Continuing his success, Christowski was named 1995 National High School Athletic Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year. Prior to Dowling, Christowski coached Indianola High School from 1981-87 where the Indians posted a 167-170 record. He began his career at Norwalk High School in 1969 and by the time he left in 1980, the Warriors had registered a 440-179 record. During his time on the prep level, Christowski coached four Iowa High School Hall of Fame pitchers (Dowling's Missy Allen, and Norwalk's Kris Brogan, Jeannie Christowski, and Cindy Johnson).

Christowski was inducted into the Iowa ASA Softball Hall of Fame in October of 1998 after coaching for over 15 years in the Iowa ASA ranks and leading four teams to national tournaments. His 1,000th career victory came Mar. 11, 1999 against Ithaca College (8-0). His overall coaching record after 34 seasons on the diamond is 1247-509-2 (a .710 winning percentage). Henry and his wife Patricia reside in Norwalk, Iowa.

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