If there was one word to describe Natalie Geenen Anderson's athletic career at Ripon College, it would be consistency. A four-time First Team All-Conference player on the softball field, Anderson was named Midwest Conference Player of the Year on two occasions. She led the Red Hawks to a winning record in all four of her seasons with the team, as they appeared in the MWC Tournament each year, winning the first MWC Championship in program history in 2008, which advanced the team to their first-ever NCAA Tournament.
Also a member of Ripon's volleyball team for one season, Anderson recorded 52 kills and 79 digs on the court, but it was as a softball player where she still ranks near the top of virtually every offensive category in program history, more than a decade after her graduation. During her career, Anderson never finished a season with a batting average below .300, compiling a career average of .368, which still ranks sixth in program history. The school record holder for career runs scored (105), Anderson also ranks second in hits (161), home runs (17) and total bases (277), which ranks fifth in MWC history. In addition to that, Anderson ranks in the top 10 in conference history for career doubles (39) and triples (13), ranking second and third respectively, in the history of Ripon College. She also ranks third in Ripon's record books for stolen bases (29) and eighth in runs batted in (68).
"Natalie was a natural talent and an amazing player who was never selfish and loved the game, while playing her heart out and always supporting her team," former Ripon Head Softball Coach Jen Mueller Wachtel '07 said. "She was always hard on herself, which only helped her become a better player, but she was also the first person to pick up a teammate when they made a mistake."
A staple at the top of Ripon's lineup, Anderson never missed a game in her four years, playing in all 132 contests during her college career. She burst onto the scene as a freshman, batting .391 with seven doubles, two triples, and two home runs, en route to her first of four First Team All-Conference selections. She followed that up with her first of two consecutive MWC Player of the Year awards, batting .306 with 10 doubles and five home runs. As a junior, Anderson had the best season of her career, recording a career-high batting average of .411 with nine doubles, four triples, seven home runs, and 29 runs scored as the Red Hawks won the MWC championship.
"As a team, our goal every year was to win the conference championship, so to finally achieve that, while also being the first team in program history to accomplish that feat, made the moment absolutely incredible."
Anderson put a bow on her career as a senior by batting .359 with 13 doubles, seven triples, three home runs, 15 stolen bases, and 35 runs scored as Ripon finished with a 12-1 record against MWC teams, marking the best conference record in program history.
"It's difficult to put into words how much my Ripon College experience meant to me, but some of my best memories took place off the field," Anderson said. "My teammates and I created such a bond, which I believe is what led to all of our success as a team. The discipline and work ethic that I put into my skills and training as a student-athlete at Ripon has shaped me into the person I am today."
After graduating from Ripon, Anderson earned her Nursing Degree from Madison College. The Appleton, Wis. native currently resides in Madison, Wis., where she works as an RN on a Med Surg inpatient unit at William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital. She and her husband Brian have been married for five years and have a three-year-old daughter, Averie.
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