Karina Cupples is entering her first year with the Skyhawks softball team in 2026, having made the move to Durango and Fort Lewis College in the fall of 2025.
She comes to Durango after three months as an assistant coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the Great American Conference. Before embarking on her coaching journey, Cupples was a four-year standout for the Chargers at Briar Cliff University, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, from 2022 to 2025.
During her time in Sioux City, Iowa, Cupples spent her career in the outfield, where she made 144 career starts in 149 total appearances. At the plate, Cupples boasted a .332 career batting average with 163 career hits, nine extra-base hits, and 35 runs batted in alongside 51 stolen bases. On defense, she held a .922 career field percentage with 177 putouts. In 2023, Cupples helped the Chargers to an appearance in the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament, which set the stage for a 2-1 win over Dordt University, giving Cupples and the Chargers their new single-season program record 33rd win.
Cupples graduated from Briar Cliff in 2025, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a focus on social work. Throughout her time in Sioux City, Cupples worked with various programs, including the Boys and Girls Club, the Briar Cliff University Social Work program, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Sunnybrook Community Church, and The Warming Shelter, among others.
