DePaul University Athletics
Softball Ace Terpstra Wondaal Headed to DePaul Hall of Fame
2/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
(DePaulBlueDemons.com will be posting feature stories on the DePaul Athletic Hall of Fame inductees from the class of 2017. The Hall of Fame ceremony takes place Saturday, Feb. 25 at McGrath-Phillips Arena.)
CHICAGO - Softball star Nicole Terpstra Wondaal will be recognized on Feb. 25, as one of the cornerstone players of coach Eugene Lenti’s nationally renowned program with her induction into the DePaul Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a senior in 1999, Wondaal was the Blue Demons ace, starring on a team that amassed a school-record 54 wins and advanced all the way to the Women’s College World Series.
To better understand Wondaal’s dominance on the mound, scroll through DePaul’s all-time softball records and you’ll see her name listed everywhere. She is second all-time in career ERA, fourth all-time in wins and opponents batting average, second in complete games, fifth in strikeouts---and the list goes on. Anyway you spin it, Nicole Terpstra Wondaal’s induction will recognize one of the most prolific pitchers in DePaul softball history.
Looking back on her time in Lincoln Park, the Blue Demons’ run in 1999 was made even more special by the relationship shared by those on the team.
“The 1999 season was pretty special to be the No. 3-ranked team in the nation,” Wondaal said. “Still, what stands out for me is the camaraderie that we had on the team. We got along very well and we worked really, really hard so it was just so rewarding to see all of our hard work pay off.
“To be the No. 3 team in the nation is an accomplishment with anybody on your team, but to do it with my teammates, friends and people I worked alongside for four years was really very rewarding.”
Wondaal’s recruiting class featuring fellow Hall of Fame 2017 inductees Karen Stewart Kanupke and Yvette Healy won more games than any Blue Demon team in history during their four years on campus. Talking with the three of them, it is clear how much mutual respect they share for each other’s abilities. Wondaal cannot give enough credit to her keystone combination.
“They were my middle infielders and every time I turned around, I got to see ‘Stew’ over at short and Yvette over at second,” Wondaal said. “It was just so much fun. I remember talking to them in the middle of games and watching them work on their craft every day at practice.
“Stew had this crazy strong arm where she could throw anyone out from anywhere on the field. And I loved watching Yvette's speed---at the plate, running the bases, getting to balls on defense.
“They both had tools that made them irreplaceable. They saved my mistakes numerous times, grabbing popups in the hole and ground balls up the middle. They were a lot of fun to watch and a lot of fun to be friends with.”
Despite not having a power fastball, Wondaal was able to get outs by changing speeds and locating her pitches.
“I was not a power pitcher, not going to blow anyone away with my speed, but I could locate,” she said. “I could throw the ball anywhere I wanted to. My best pitches were my curveball and my riseball but definitely not my changeup. My changeup was terrible and still is to this day. But if you execute the pitch calls, the ball gets hit where to the correct fielder and you get outs. I wasn’t going to strike everybody out with my fastball, but I was going to get people out with weak ground balls and popups.
“Our pitching coach, Leigh Podlesny, talked at length with us about controlling what we could and letting the rest go to minimize the pressure on the mound. She encouraged us to compete against every batter.
“Leigh refined all my pitches, but especially my riseball. Without her expertise, or that pitch, I definitely would not have succeeded as much. Thankfully I had a great defense and fantastic catchers all four years and I was very blessed to be surrounded by talented teammates.”
In her third year as a coach at her alma mater IIliana Christian High School, Wondaal has looked back to coach Eugene “Eug” Lenti and her time at DePaul as a guide to run her program.
“Eug is the type of guy that is going to push you, challenge you and bring out the very best in you,” Wondaal said. “Eug definitely made me a stronger player and a stronger person. He always supported us. If you ever need anything at all, he’d be there immediately.
“That is one of the main things that drew me to DePaul, that Eug and Jeanne (athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto) had created a family atmosphere. Being recruited, knowing somebody was always looking out for me, that I was going to be a member of a family not just a player on the field, that made a difference to me.
“I coach my daughter who is 10 years old, and I still give a few private pitching lessons. I try and set high expectations for my Illiana team. Eug had high expectations for us, but never unreasonable or something that we weren’t able to accomplish.
“And along with the entire coaching staff, he made us believe we were going to exceed those expectations. Never once did it occur to me that we weren't good enough. I try to do the same for my players. I try to create a belief in themselves that they are capable of achieving their goals through hard work. I learned a lot about life at DePaul and that is something I try to remember when I’m coaching. It’s my responsibility to help prepare my players for the next step as young women.”
Wondaal was blindsided by the honor, which for her came out of nowhere.
“The first word that comes to my mind is compliment,” she said. “It’s a really nice compliment, and a humbling honor. That people, my fellow student-athletes that have come before me, thought to nominate me.
“I guess I never really thought I would go in on my own. I figured our 1999 Hall of Fame team would be recognized because you can’t finish third in the nation and not leave a legacy. But to go in as an individual is a big surprise for me.
“I kept thinking when I did my acceptance speech video how I didn’t do any of this alone. I didn’t finish third in the country in 1999 by myself. All of the success at DePaul, it was our whole team.
"Without my catchers and all my teammates, I'm just a pitcher on the mound."
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For information on the Feb. 25 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony including purchasing tickets, please contact Catherine Ramsey at cramsey@depaul.edu or 773-325-7504.
