Caitlin Wnek starts her sixth season as a assistant softball coach at UW-La Crosse in 2023-24. She also serves as a facilities and events coordinator for the athletics department.
Wnek was selected the 2023 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. She took over head coaching duties at UWL on April 2 while Eagles' head coach Chris Helixon recovered from aortic valve replacement surgery. Wnek led UWL to a 16-8 record.
She led the Eagles to the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament title with a 4-0 record, including a 2-1 championship game victory over UW-Stevens Point. The tournament win secured the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. UWL advanced to the regional in Pella, Iowa.
UWL finished 28-15 overall and 9-5 in the WIAC. UWL earned the 2023 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award. Three players were selected to the All-WIAC First Team, including Kyra Lard, Jordyn McCormack and Elise Weinzierl. Weinzierl was named the WIAC Pitcher of the Year. McCormack and Madi O'Brien both earned NCAA Division III All-Region Tournament honors.
Wnek helped lead UWL to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Super Regional in 2019. The Eagles finished 29-20 overall and won the WIAC championship in 2019, securing the league's automatic bid to the national tournament. UWL won the NCAA Division III Pella, Iowa Regional.
UWL went 27-10 overall and 13-1 in the conference in 2022, earning its second (2010) regular-season league title in school history. The Eagles won 13 consecutive WIAC games and 14 overall, the second-longest winning streak in school history. UWL earned the 2022 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award, advancing to the tournament championship game. The Eagles had four players, McCormack, Remington Stark, Weinzierl and Lard, named to the All-WIAC First Team. McCormack was selected the WIAC Position Player of the Year, Weinzierl the WIAC Pitcher of the Year and Lard the WIAC Newcomer of the Year. The 27 overall victories are tied for sixth in school history.
Wnek came to UW-La Crosse after earning her master's degree in sports administration and leadership at Augustana University (S.D.) in 2018. She served as the Vikings' graduate assistant softball coach from 2016-18, serving as the primary infield coach and assisting with the day-to-day operations of the program, including travel information and field management. Augustana (S.D.) finished 40-16 in 2017, including 21-5 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play while advancing to the NCAA Division II Central Regional title game. She organized and ran the 2017 Augustana/Sioux Empire Fastpitch Softball Association Fall League.
Wnek joined Augustana (S.D.) after starting four years at shortstop at the University of Northern Iowa from 2012-16. She graduated as the Panthers' all-time leader in career doubles (56) and earned All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) First Team honors her senior season. Wnek was named the 2013 MVC Newcomer of the Year in her freshman season and was a 2014 and 2015 All-MVC Second Team selection as a sophomore and junior. She was a UNI Scholar-Athlete while earning her degree in movement and exercise science with an emphasis in sport psychology.
A native of Amana, Iowa, Wnek was an assistant softball coach at Cedar Falls (Iowa) High School from 2014-15.
