Traci Conrad Staff

Two-time first team All-American and former Michigan standout Traci Conrad begins her first season as an assistant softball coach at Notre Dame. Conrad replaces Stephenie Henderson, who took over the head coaching position at Loyola-Chicago in the summer of ?99.

Conrad, a native of Frankfort, Ill., will help coach the batters and infielders and assist Notre Dame head coach Liz Miller in all administrative aspects of the program.

The Big Ten career hits leader won numerous national awards while playing four years at first base under Wolverine head coach Carol Hutchins. As a senior in 1999, she was named a Honda Award Finalist and a third team All-American, while receiving her second nod as Big Ten Player of the Year and Michigan team MVP.

As a junior, Conrad, a four-time all district selection, helped the Wolverines to a number-two national ranking for 10 straight weeks, earning first team All-America honors. Her sophomore season, Conrad helped the Wolverines advance to their third straight Women?s College World Series, earning first-team All-America honors and her first of three selections to the Big Ten first team.

As a freshman, Conrad was named to the Women?s College World Series all-tournament team and earned accolades as Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Michigan Rookie of the Year.

Conrad also earned a gold medal while playing for the United States? 1997 Pan Am Qualifier team in Medellin, Columbia, and was a participant in the 1997 and 1998 USA Softball National Team Festival.

Off the field, Conrad was a first (1998) and second (1999) team GTE Academic All-American and a three-time academic all-district team selection.

After graduating from Michigan in May 1999 with a bachelor of arts degree in sports management and communications, Conrad helped lead the Akron Racers to the 1999 Women?s Pro Softball League (WPSL) championship series, where they finished as league runners-up.