University of Nebraska at Kearney Women's Softball

Katie (Bolin) Ackermann was named the ninth head softball coach in Nebraska-Kearney history in September 2019.  “I cannot say enough good things about Katie and the quality of person and leadership she will bring to UNK Athletics. I believe Katie is one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in the game, and I am confident that she is going to do some really great things with our softball program,” UNK Athletic Director Marc Bauer said. A star player at both Kearney High and Division II Chadron (Neb.) State College, Ackermann previously was the top assistant coach at McCook (Neb.) Community College for three years. She was named interim head coach at MCC in the summer of 2019 and also served as an assistant coach at McCook High School (2016-18) and CSC (2011-12). “I’m very grateful for this opportunity. It’s hard to put in words how special this transition is for a girl who grew up in Kearney. I’m extremely fortunate to be back around family, friends, and individuals who have supported me through my softball career,” Ackermann said. “I want to thank Marc and the athletic staff for choosing me as the person who is going to bring change to this program. I’m excited for the future of UNK softball and I’m ready to get started.” She has posted a 71-99 record (31-53 MIAA) to date and coached six All-MIAA selections.  Her first season of 2020 was cut short to the pandemic. UNK was 13-13 before the NCAA and MIAA stopped all sports in mid-March. At the time the Lopers were 8-3 at neutral sites and 3-3 in league play. It marked UNK's first non-losing season since 2012.  Averaging 5.6 runs per game thanks to a .324 team batting average, the Lopers managed 39 doubles, 12 triples and 12 home runs over 26 games. Eleven players were hitting at least .300 with outfielders Nicole Spykstra (.443) and Carlee Liesch (.430) among the national leaders. In the circle, six different Lopers logged at least eight innings with the staff tallying 118 strikeouts in 162.1 innings. UNK had four complete games and three saves with the defense coming in with a .930 fielding percentage. In 2021 UNK went 17-25 and won eight league games. Having just 10 home contests, the Lopers had four named All-MIAA including Liesch (.366).  The team had a six-game win streak early in the season and ended things with three straight wins including one at nationally-ranked Central Oklahoma.  That was a springboard for 2022 as UNK reached the postseason for the first time in a decade. The Lopers went 25-27, placed seventh in the MIAA and went 2-2 in the league tournament. That included a win at UCO as well as one over Emporia State. Lefty Madison Rosenthal recorded a seven-inning no-hitter against the Hornets, the program's first in nine years. Not surprisingly, she was named to the All-Tournament team with Liesch picking up another All-MIAA and All-Central Region honor. Finally, UNK ended the year 2-1 vs. UCO.  In 2023, sophomore Sydney Thomas was a repeat All-MIAA pick after being one of the league's top two-way players. She had a team-low 3.24 ERA, seven wins and a save to go along with a .358 average, 14 doubles, eight homers and 25 RBI's. Finally, Thomason pulled off the rare feat of being name the MIAA Player and Pitcher of the Week as the same time.  Holding a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Organizational Management from Chadron, Ackermann was part of a turnaround at MCC between 2017-19. After posting a 22-38 mark in 2017, the Indians won 29 games and the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference title in 2018. The next spring MCC won a piece of the league crown in winning another 29 games and reaching the Region IX postseason tournament for the first time in three years. Seeded fourth, the Indians advanced to the title game before the season drew to a close. Ackermann coached three players that earned 2019 All-Region IX honors as well as four Indians that made the Omaha World-Herald’s state All-Junior College team. Several of these players have gone on to sign with four-year schools. “During my time as an assistant coach at McCook, I got the chance to experience a little of what a championship might feel like. That’s scary. Especially for someone as competitive as I am. I’ve gotten close to the real deal and I want more,” Ackermann said. “I want to continue to feed off of the great success we had in the 2019 Region IX Tournament and continue it here at UNK.” In 2018 McCook was among the top offensive teams in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) as it set new team school records for batting average, extra base hits and doubles. In 2017 Ackermann coached the school’s all-time leader in hits, doubles, RBI’s and steals. “Offense. This is why I played the game. Don’t get me wrong, pitching and defense are extremely important, but if you don’t score, you can’t win. UNK has had great offensive seasons over the last few years. I want to keep that consistent,” Ackermann said. She helped the McCook Bison win 46 games over three seasons, reaching the Class B state tournament in 2017. That fall MHS upset top-seed Elkhorn South in the first round of the tourney. Subsequently six Bison made the OWH’s Class B all-state team. “Katie’s experience playing in positions around the diamond has helped her become well-rounded and skilled at teaching the fundamentals of the game. This is quite evident in the impact that she had on McCook Community College softball program,” Bauer said. “Furthermore, Katie is a tireless worker and expects excellence from herself and her players in all areas of life. As far as I am concerned, we’ve hit a grand slam with this hire.” As a player, Ackermann spent her freshman season at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Ia., before transferring to Chadron. The outfielder left the Eagles program as the all-time leader in both career home runs (37) and single season dingers (17). Named second-team All-RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) as a junior in 2010, Ackermann led CSC to 25 wins that spring as she paced the team in virtually every offensive category. She was a repeat second-team all-league pick in 2011 as she batted .356 with 17 homers and 51 RBI’s. “I’ve had the privilege of playing with talented groups during my careers at Kearney High and Chadron State. The mentors I’ve had during those years, players and coaches, have been very significant in the success I’ve had. The game of softball has opened many doors and still continues to provide opportunities that I will forever be grateful for,” Ackermann said. She remained at CSC as a coach in 2012, helping the Eagles win 17 games and having four players named to the OWH’s Division II all-state team. Outfielder Angela Jay was also tabbed first-team All-RMAC and earned Capital One second-team Division II Academic All-American honors. Ackermann and her husband, Brad, have three children, Braelynn, Carter, and Ruby.  

Kyle Trelka began his duties as head women's swimming coach at Nebraska Kearney in January 2024.    "I am excited for Kyle to lead the women's swimming and diving programs. He set himself apart throughout the interview process, articulating his passion, competitive mindset, drive, and vision to positively impact our student-athletes experiences and ability to reach their full potential," said Bauer.    A standout swimmer at Division I Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Trelka helped the Panthers win three straight Horizon League titles. A two-time co-captain, he was tabbed the team's Rookie of the Year in 2009 and was team MVP as a senior. Trekla graduated from UWM in 2012 with a double major in Finance and Marketing.   "I'm very blessed to have the opportunity to join the Lopers athletic staff and look forward to building on an already strong aquatics tradition and culture," said Trelka. "Being a lifelong competitive swimmer has given me plenty of insight and input into my training and meets. As a full-time coach the past nine years, I've been able to hone my coaching ideals and philosophy."    Before moving to Florida in 2015 to get involved with swimming again, Trelka worked for Cabela's Corporate in Sidney, Nebraska, where he met his wife, Shari, and they have four children: Zayden, Niya, Troy, and Riana. Since then, he's become a decorated high school, club, and AAU coach who has won awards, seen his athletes win regional and state titles, and earn college scholarships, many at the D1 level.   "Kyle brings a standard of excellence as an accomplished competitor at the highest level in collegiate athletics and on the pool deck as a coach," said Bauer. "I am confident that under his leadership, he will continue to build and move the program in a positive direction while creating a meaningful experience for our student-athletes."   Most recently, he's been head swim & dive coach at Clearwater High School (2016-23), Calvary Christian High School (2021-23), co-head track & field coach at Clearwater H.S. (2021-23), and head coach, founder and CEO of Radiant Aquatics (2018-23). Radiant is a 501c3 not-for-profit team that has seven employees and operates year-round. Previously, Trelka was head branch coach for Blue Wave/Trident Swimming (2016-18) and is a founding member of "Team Florida," an AAU club that coordinates with several teams in competing under one umbrella at the Junior Olympic Meet, which is held annually in July.    "As a result of our unique collaboration with Kearney Public Schools and sharing the pool facility at Kearney Senior High School, Kyle's track record as the founder and CEO of an elite club in Florida will be a valuable asset as he plans to partner with KHS to establish a strong presence with the Kearney community and surrounding area's youth," said Bauer.   Each program Trelka has worked with was built from the ground up and has become successful. Trident had eight swimmers when he arrived in 2015; he now coaches 80-plus high school-aged swimmers daily and runs a program that seasonally has 200-plus swimmers, divers, and triathletes.   Radiant Aquatics is a multi-branch program that uses three pools seasonally. Trelka marketed and helped grow the teams, which feature all levels, ages, and abilities. That includes several Junior National qualifiers and swimmers who qualified for the Top 16 at the state high school championships.   "I love building team cultures that thrive on community. Once that is established, results are sure to follow for years to come," said Trelka.   For the Clearwater Tornadoes, he was named the 2021-22 Pinellas County Athletic Conference (PCAC) Boys Swim & Dive Coach of the Year. The girls and boys' teams were 2021 District 8 and Region 3 Champions, with an individual winning 2021 state titles in the 50 and 100 freestyles. He previously coached state champs in the 100-backstroke and 100-butterfly and helped build the CHS squad from a bottom-eight conference team to an annual contender.   At Calvary Christian, he helped double the size of the team in one year and saw the boy's 400-free relay team set a school record. For Team Florida, he was nominated as Head Coach for 2021 (Houston) and 2022 (Greensboro, N.C.) Junior Olympic meets. Trelka helped the girls' teams place second each year, setting new meet records along the way.   "It's been an honor to coach with so many teams and people in Florida. I very much look forward to the building of an already solid program at Kearney!" said Trelka.    

Cory Castellano joined the Nebraska Kearney softball in the fall of 2025 and is involved in all aspects of the program.  Most recently, he was in the State of Washgton serving as assistant baseball coach at Mount Vernon High School and as an assistant softball coach with the Washington Grapes Wilson 16U/18U club program. On the softball diamond, Castellano was responsible for hitting, base running, infield instruction and short game instruction. He also worked alongside longtime collegiate and national team head coach Teresa Wilson. At MVHS, he worked with hitters in establishing approaches and developing swings that match that approach. Defensively, helped both outfielders and infielders in developing proper footwork, running mechanics and body awareness to execute routine plays and be in the best position for the difficult ones. The Bulldogs won the 2025 Class 3A state title and being runners up a year earlier. As a player, the Oklahoma native was a switch hitting middle infielder at the University of St. Thomas (Saint Paul, Minn.). He then moved onto be a graduate assistant at Division II Southern Wesleyan University (Central, S.C.) where he worked with the Warriors baseball and softball teams and was Assistant to the Athletic Director. In that capacity, Castellano was greatly involved with academic success within the department.   Castellano also worked at Ida Baker High School (assistant baseball coach) and EXOS Sports Performance Center (intern), both in Florida. At EXOS, which partners with Dr. James Andrews, he helped prepare Division I athletes for the NFL Draft Combine. Finally, he has served as a student and substitute teacher in middle and high schools.  Castellano holds a B.S. in Fitness and Sports Coaching from the University of West Florida and a Master's in Management and Leadership from Southern Wesleyan. His mother, Lori, was an All-American softball player at then-Division II Cal State Northridge where she was part of three national championship teams. A member of the CSUN Athletic Hall of Fame, she went onto a long collegiate coaching career including 13 years in the Division I softball ranks. His father, Perry, recently retired after being the Director of Strength and Conditioning/Major League Strength Coach for the Minnesota Twins.