Fort Lewis College Athletics

Kira Zeiter begins her fifth season as head softball coach at Fort Lewis College in 2014-15. She became head softball coach at Fort Lewis College in August 2010.
 
In four seasons as the Skyhawk softball skipper, Zeiter’s teams posted an 89-107 overall record (.454) and 72-78 slate in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games (.480). She has the highest overall and league winning percentage of any softball coach in school history and already ranks third in career victories.

Following a 20-24 record in 2013 that saw the team finish seventh in the league with a 17-19 league record, Zeiter and the Skyhawks made it to the RMAC tournament championship game for the second time in four years in 2014.  FLC entered the conference tournament with a 19-19 mark and the No. 8 seed and entered the championship game after winning the first three tournament games.  The Skyhawks eventually fell to Metro State in the championship game and then the if-necessary game.
 
Zeiter’s 2012 Skyhawk team finished the season with a 30-26 overall record, setting a new school standard for victories. The Skyhawks won the RMAC tournament and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs, each for the second time in school history. FLC went 24-16 in RMAC games, tying for third place in the regular season standings. Fort Lewis fielded one of the nation’s most powerful lineups in 2012, ranking fifth in NCAA Division II in home runs per game (1.25).
 
Her 2011 squad went 13-28 overall (.317) and 12-24 in league games (.333), finishing fifth in the RMAC West Division.
 
She is the fifth head softball coach in the college’s history. She follows in the footsteps of former FLC softball coaches Peppy Seale (1984, 3-17), Bill Hayes (1985-95, 68-192), Don Piccoli (1996-99, 10-105) and Pam Adams (234-406, 2000-10).
 
Under her guidance, the Skyhawks have reached new heights in terms of individual academic and on-field accolades. Zeiter’s players earned 19 RMAC All-Academic awards. Stephanie Janes also became the first Academic All-American in FLC softball history, earning Capital One/CoSIDA All-America second team honors in 2012. Janes also became FLC’s first-ever RMAC Academic Player of the Year, followed by Chelsea Rodriguez who won the award back-to-back years (2013, 2014).
 
On the diamond, FLC players have earned four All-RMAC awards, two National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Central Region honors — the first two in school history — and a pair of Daktronics All-Central Region accolades. Chelsea Rodriguez was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 2012 RMAC tournament.
 
Zeiter spent three seasons from 2008-10 as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Adams State College. She was responsible for off-campus recruiting, scouting opponents, summer camps, and day-to-day operations for the Grizzlies. During her time as an assistant coach, Adams State posted a 76-59 overall record. 
 
Zeiter played first base, third base, outfield and designated player for the Grizzlies from 2004-07. She was a two-time ESPN: The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American, a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District VII selection and a three-time All-RMAC and Academic All-RMAC selection.
 
She finished her playing career holding down top 10 spots in more than 11 different statistical categories in ASC’s NCAA Division II era (1993-present) record book. Following her senior year, she led the Grizzlies in career games played (198) and career games started, and ranked fourth in career home runs (20), third in career runs batted in (98), second in career doubles (36) and second in career walks (86).
 
Zeiter received both her bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2007 and master’s degree in human performance and physical education in 2009 from Adams State.
 
A native of Tucson, Ariz., Zeiter graduated from Catalina Foothills High School.