Teri Hepler '00 was a solid contributor to Ripon's women's basketball team, but it was on the softball diamond where she made a name for herself. A three-time All-Conference selection as a shortstop, Hepler still holds the Midwest Conference record for both career triples (20) and career total bases (328), 21 years after her graduation.
After batting .214 with just 12 hits in 25 games as a freshman, Hepler showed improvements as a sophomore, which saw her set a new school record for single season batting average (.494), which has since been broken. She also finished her second season with 42 hits, including three doubles, four home runs, and a single season school record eight triples, while also setting a school record with 29 stolen bases, which still stands today. She finished her junior season with a .354 batting average, before ending her career batting .423 as a senior, en route to her third consecutive All-Conference nod. Hepler had the distinction of becoming the first player in program history to hit .400 in more than one season, an honor she shares with just two other players in the history of the program.
"My experience at Ripon College shaped my life in many different ways, as I learned valuable skills, such as resiliency, hard work, discipline, teamwork, and leadership, that have helped me throughout my life," Hepler said. "I formed many wonderful friendships that have endured for over 20 years and my playing days at Ripon even helped to determine my career path. It wasn't until college that I truly began to understand and appreciate the crucial role that psychological factors play in athletic performance, and as a result, I pursued a career in the field of sport psychology."
Hepler's career batting average of .371 ranked second in program history at the time of her graduation, and still ranks fifth. In addition to her school records for triples and total bases, Hepler also holds the school record for career stolen bases with 64, which is exactly twice the amount of the second-highest total, and ranks fourth in MWC history. She also ranks fourth in Ripon's record book for career hits (135), second in runs scored (103), sixth in home runs (9), and 10th in runs batted in (58).
Hepler also remains tied for the school record for single game hits (4) and single game triples (2), accomplishing the latter two times, which makes her the only player in program history to accomplish that feat more than once. Even though she put up gaudy numbers while playing for Ripon's softball team, her most vivid memories came away from the field.
"More than a single play or game, what I remember most are the friends I made. As teammates, we spent almost every waking moment together- from games and practices, to eating in the commons, singing karaoke in the dorms, taking classes, riding long hours in the van, studying- you name it, we did it together," Hepler said. "We had a lot of laughs and even shed a few tears together, so when I think of my favorite memories at Ripon College, I think of the wonderful women who started out simply as my teammates, but ended up becoming my closest friends."
One of the main influences on Hepler at Ripon was her softball coach Kelly Witte, who became an incredibly influential figure in Hepler's life.
"Coach Witte taught me that coaching was more than just Xs and Os, but rather it was about human connection. She truly cared about her student-athletes, and was always there if anyone needed to talk and she'd go out of her way to help her players both on and off the field," Hepler said. "Coach Witte always had a smile on her face and believed that working hard and having fun weren't mutually exclusive. She taught me how to learn from my mistakes, instead of dwelling on them and letting them affect my confidence and performance. She believed in her players and always found a way to bring out the best in each of us. I couldn't have asked for a better coach, mentor, friend, and advocate. It was truly a privilege to play for such a caring, passionate, and dedicated coach."
Hepler's softball prowess often overshadowed what she accomplished on the basketball court, where she appeared in 67 of a possible 68 games during her three seasons with the team. She finished her career with averages of 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and two steals per game, never finishing lower than the fifth-highest scoring average on the team. As a junior, Hepler led the Red Hawks with 11.6 points per game as the only player on the team to average double digits scoring.
A native of Cambria, Wis., Hepler currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Exercise and Sport Science department at UW-La Crosse, focusing on sport psychology and human motor behavior. She lives in La Crosse, Wis. with her wife Molly and their two sons, Sullivan and Beckett. Prior to receiving her PhD in sport and exercise psychology from Michigan State University in 2008, Hepler served as an assistant softball coach at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa.
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