Washburn University of Topeka Women's Softball

Brenda Holaday enters her 10th season as the Ichabod softball head coach entering the 2025-26 school year as the all-time winningest coach in program history. In nine seasons Holaday has recorded a 283-170 overall record going 136-74 in MIAA contests leading the Ichabods to two MIAA regular season championships in 2018 and 2022 while leading the program to three of its six NCAA postseason in 2018, 2022 and 2024. The 2024 squad saw the Ichabods go 37-17 and 17-9 in MIAA as the Ichabods reached the NCAA Central Regional for the third time in a three-year span under Holaday. In 2022, the Ichabods won their third MIAA Championship going 24-2 in the MIAA reaching the MIAA Tournament Championship game and the NCAA postseason as Holaday was named the MIAA Coach of the Year for the second time in her tenure at Washburn.  Overall in nine seasons, Washburn has had 43 all-MIAA picks, one MIAA Player of the Year, one MIAA Pitcher of the Year, two MIAA Freshmen of the Year and 18 all-region selections and six All-American picks and six members of the MIAA Gold Glove team. Holaday's teams also shine in the classroom as 15 student athletes have recorded 4.0 grade point averages and 128 student athletes honored on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and 24 Scholar Athlete all-MIAA picks. Her teams have also had six CSC Academic All-American selections and 13 CSC Academic All-District pics. The squad also has had 90 selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's All-America Scholar Athlete honor roll. The on and off the field success has also lead to facility improvements at the Washburn softball complex including a complete construction of two dugouts, as well as new batting cages, more storage areas as well as a complete artificial turf field beginning in 2019-20, one of five fully-turfed fields in the MIAA and prior to the 2021 season, lights were added to the complex as well. Prior to the start of the 2024 season, a complete clubhouse directly off of the first base dugout with locker room, coaching area, meeting room and additional storage areas were also completed as well as a viewing deck in left field for fans. Before the 2025 season started, a new padded fence was built adding to player safety and a new scoreboard was installed as well updating the previous LED board. Following the COVID-shortened 2020 season the Ichabods went 28-18 in 2021 going 15-5 in home games recording their fourth-straight winning season. Individually, Holaday coached an All-American, four all-region selections and five all-MIAA selections including the freshman of the year in the league.  Holaday started at Washburn on July 18, 2016. The 2020 season came to an end after 27 games as the Ichabods finished 14-13 winning seven of their last 10 games only getting to play four MIAA contests. There was no all-MIAA squad selected but the Ichabods continued their outstanding work in the classroom placing 17 student athletes on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and one of the MIAA Academic Excellence listing. In 2019, the Ichabods placed seven players on the all-MIAA squad including two first team selections, two second team picks and three honorable mention all-league selections.  In 2018, the Washburn program improved 14 wins  over Holaday's first season capturing the first MIAA title since the 2002 season while earning an NCAA postseason berth for the first time since 2008. For her efforts leading the Ichabods, Holaday was recognized as the MIAA Coach of the Year as Washburn won the league title by four games. In 2018, Washburn also had the MIAA Pitcher of the Year in Megan Deiter and MIAA Freshman of the Year in Bri Francis as well as three first team all-MIAA selections, three second team picks and two honorable mention all-conference selections. The postseason awards continued in year two with four all-region selections as well as 12 academic all-MIAA picks, three MIAA scholar athletes and an CoSIDA Academic All-American honoree. In her first season after taking over the program Holaday led the Ichabods to a 25-30 overall mark and a 12-14 record in the MIAA improving six wins overall and four wins in conference play just missing a spot in the MIAA postseason tournament. After her first season in the Ichabod dugout, three players were named all-MIAA including one first team selection. Washburn also had its first NFCA all-region pick for the first time since the 2015 season under Holaday's guidance. Holaday, who coached 19 seasons at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, recorded a 351-93 record leading the Junior Blues to three 6A state championships as well as winning 14 league championships earning 16 6A state tournament berths, five second-place state finishes and three third-place state finishes.  She was named the Centennial League Coach of the Year and City Coach of the Year nine different times earning the Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year in 2011 and the 6A Kansas Coach of the year two times in 2008 and 2011 and was named the overall Kansas Coach of the Year in 2011. While at Washburn Rural, Holaday coached more than 40 players who have gone on to play college softball including three at the NCAA Division I level. Also successful in the classroom, her teams at Washburn Rural have received the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Academic Team Award eight of the 10 years the award has been in existence and has finished in the top 10 schools in the country three times. Holaday served as the chair of the NFCA national high school All-American committee and the Kansas 6A All-State selection committee as well as the NFCA South Central Region selection committee. While coaching at Washburn Rural, Holaday was also the school's counseling department dean for 23 years and was inducted into the WRHS Hall of Fame in 2018. She holds degrees in Secondary Education from Kansas State and her Master's of Science in Education, Counseling Psychology from Kansas. Holaday was a member of the Kansas State softball team from 1981 to 1983 and she lives in Topeka. Her son Mitchell graduated from Kansas State in December of 2017.

Taylor Zordel is in her seventh year as an assistant coach with the Ichabod softball program. Zordel leads the Ichabod defensive unit. Zordel, who finished her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas Medical Center of Kansas, was an All-American selection as a sophomore at Emporia State and overall was a three-time, first-team all-MIAA selection, a three-time all-region pick at shortstop earning second-team all-MIAA honors as a freshman. Zordel was tabbed a second team Academic All-American as a senior after earning the MIAA’s Defensive Player of the Year award while hitting .379 with 52 runs scored, 39 stolen bases and 23 RBI. She finished her career ranked third in career stolen bases, runs and hits at ESU. Zordel played for Holaday at Washburn Rural High School and graduated from ESU with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Promotion. Zordel and her fiancé, Zach, reside in Topeka, where she also works as a Physical Therapist at Restore Physical Therapy in Topeka.

Andi Wehrli joined the Ichabod coaching staff on June 18, 2024 and will work with the Ichabod hitters.  Wehrli played her collegiate career beginning at Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif. for two seasons earning first-team all-conference, first-team all-state as a freshman and sophomore gaining first-team All-American as a freshman. She then transferred to Abilene Christian University for her junior season and then wrapped up her career at Drury after following her coach for her final season. At Drury she earned first-team all-GLVC honors and first-team all-region accolades. The following year she was a student assistant coach which led to her becoming the assistant coach for two seasons after graduation.  Wehrli is a native of California and now resides in Topeka with her husband Matt.

Jaycee Ginter is in her first season as an assistant coach on the Ichabod softball staff and will work primarily with the pitchers.  As a member of the Ichabods from 2021-24, Ginter played in 209 games making 208 career starts going 85-29 in the circle with 791 career strikeouts in 725 2/3 innings pitched. Offensively, she recorded 204 career hits with 166 RBI and 28 home runs with 37 doubles and 116 runs scored. In the circle her 2.01 career ERA is ninth all-time and her 85 career wins is the most in program history ranking first in Washburn and the MIAA in career appearances with 145 and her 791 career strikeouts is the most in program history. Ginter was Washburn's first, four-time all-MIAA first-team selection and was a two-time All-American selection, a seven-time all-region selection, a four-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and the MIAA Scholar Athlete listing and a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection. Ginter currently works as a Radiologic Technologist at Stormont Vail's Orthopedic Clinic.

Rick Attig is in his ninth season Ichabod track and field coaching staff joining Washburn on July 6, 2016. While at Washburn he has coached 15 All-Americans in the pole vault and three in the high jump. Attig joined the Ichabod staff just prior to the first season of competition for the newly reinstated program at Washburn, and will focus his efforts primarily with field and multi-events.  Prior to joining Washburn, Attig was the head track coach and assistant cross country coach at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kan., where coached since 2006, but brings to Washburn over two decades of NCAA Division I experience between stops at the University of Kansas and the University of Nebraska. In his most recent spot, Attig coached the high school boy's pole vault national record holder (5.61 meters) and in his two years of running Xtreme Athletics club, his athletes have broken four state high school pole vault records (Kansas and Missouri boys and girls). An assistant coach at UNL from 2001 to 2005, Attig coached and recruited pole-vaulters, heptathletes and decathletes and coached two NCAA National Champions, one USA National Junior Champion, 15 NCAA All-Americans and 13 Big 12 Champions. Prior to UNL, Attig served as Assistant Track Coach at KU from 1984 to 2000 where he instructed 33 All-Americans, 34 Big 8/12 Champions, four USA National Championships and three Pan American Champions.  In addition, KU athletes under Attig's teaching set two NCAA Records, eight Big 8/12 Records and one American Record (Scott Huffman, 19'7").  Attig had one pole-vaulter earn a spot on the 1996 Olympic Team and his student-athletes held the No. 1 United States ranking in 1993, 1995 and 1996.   On the national stage, Attig served as the USA Track & Field National Pole Vault Coach from 1990 to 1996 and was an assistant coach for the 1989 Olympic Sports Festive for the jumping events.  He was the North Region Javelin Development Chairman from 1980 to 1984, and wrote the USA Track & Field Pole Vault Manual in addition to being published several times in numerous track and field journals. A native of Murphysboro, Ill., Attig earned his Bachelor's of Science in Secondary Education from Southeast Missouri State and picked up his Master's Degree in teaching Physical Education from Southeast Missouri State in 1978., where he was a four-year letterman and team captain in both football and track. He was inducted into the Southeast Missouri State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 for his contributions to the program as a student-athlete. He then coached at Cape Girardeau Central (Mo.) High School for two seasons and at Raytown (Mo.) South High School for seven seasons before joining the Kansas staff in 1984.  His wife, Stephanie, is a chemistry teacher at Blue Valley North High School, and they have two children, Garrett and Marci, who both live in Overbrook, Kan.

Marshall O’Brien joined the Washburn Ichabod track and field coaching staff prior to the 2021-22 season after serving the previous four seasons at former MIAA rival Southwest Baptist. As a member of the Ichabod coaching staff, he has coached 14 all-MIAA selections and 12 All-Americans.  During his career at SBU, O’Brien has coached 30 All-American’s in sprints, hurdles, jumps and multis and two NCAA National Champions - both in the high jump. At the 2021 NCAA Division II Championships, he helped led the Bearcats to a top-20 finish at the indoor championships as the SBU women were the team runner-ups at the 2020 Great Lakes Valley Indoor and Outdoor Championships. At the conference level, he has coached 30 All-GLVC athletes and 50 All-MIAA athletes. During the 2016-17 season, the women’s track and field team placed 2nd at the MIAA Indoor Conference Championships and placed 11th in the NCAA Indoor National Championships. O’Brien has coached two NCAA Elite 90 recipients during his career, an award handed out to the athlete with the highest GPA competing at NCAA Nationals. Marshall spent the 2014-15 season as an Assistant Coach at Wartburg College where he worked primarily with the jumps team. O’Brien helped lead Wartburg to three conference championships (Women’s Indoor/Outdoor and Men’s Indoor), while also coaching two national qualifiers. Marshall graduated from Emporia State in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical and Health Education and a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion. In 2014, Marshall completed a Master of Science in Recreation and Sport Sciences from Ohio University. He has also received certification from USA Weightlifting Sport Performance and USA Track and Field Level One Certification. O’Brien competed in Track & Field at ESU where he cleared a national qualifying mark of 6-feet-10 inches in the high jump. He was a top-three finisher in both the indoor and outdoor high jump competition at the MIAA Championships and also participated in the long jump and decathlon. Marshall, a native of Derby, Kansas, currently resides in Topeka with his wife Tori, daughters  Avery and Eisley and son Rowan.

Andrew Ashmore joined the Washburn Ichabod Track & Field and Cross Country Staff prior to the 2025-2026 season after spending the 2024-2025 season at Abilene Christian University as a Volunteer Assistant Coach.  Ashmore graduated from Harding University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. In 2025 Andrew completed a Master of Human Performance from Abilene Christian University. He also received certification from USTFCCA - Sprints Specialist.  Ashmore competed in Track & Field at Harding University as a sprinter. Andrew is a native of Celina, Texas and currently resides in Topeka.