Softball - Coaches

Don Don Williams

Head Coach

Coach Don Don Williams returns for her 11th season as head coach of the Cardinal softball team (14th season overall) after leading the 2007 squad to the best national finish in NIC history. Williams is the only coach to step foot in the third base Cardinal coach’s box since she was hired to start NIC’s program in 1998 and has been developing the team toward its current state as a national caliber team ever since.

"Being the first coach in a particular sport left me with a great deal of challenges, which in time, I learned to view as opportunities,” said Williams. “I didn’t have a path paved for me by former head coaches and I was free to utilize my coaching style and vision for the future of softball at North Idaho."

In her decade of service at NIC, Williams has motivated her teams both in the classroom and on the field. Her education-first approach has reaped stellar results – the 2004 and 2005 teams were recognized as the college’s squad with the highest team GPA, while the 2005, 2006, and 2007 teams earned the highest academic honor awarded by the NJCAA when the three squads were named Academic All-America teams. Several NIC players have also been recognized for their performance in the classroom by earning Academic All-American and NFCA Scholar-Athlete awards. Williams is also the athletic academic advisor and takes personal pride in her hands-on approach to her team’s academic progress.

"I feel that the players’ success in the classroom will directly affect their performance on the field," said Williams. "As a coach, I don’t focus solely upon developing the girls’ skills in softball. I want to expand upon their character and prepare them for life’s obstacles."

On the diamond, the Cardinals have reigned as champions atop the Scenic West Athletic Conference for two consecutive years, earning them automatic berths into the NJCAA College World Series in Plant City, Florida. Last season, the 2007 Cardinals returned to Coeur d’Alene with the highest team finish in the history of North Idaho College women’s athletics with the NJCAA national tournament runner’s-up trophy. Although a great deal of attention has been paid to her teams of late, success is not new to the program as they have qualified for post-season play eight of 10 years.

Coach Williams’ teams have been given national recognition as they were ranked in the NJCAA Top-20 poll both in 2006 and 2007.

"North Idaho College and the SWAC offer athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level in junior college play," said Williams. "The competition we face is a great selling point when moving athletes onto their next two years of play."

During her reign as NIC’s head coach, Williams is proud to have coached a multitude of players who have accrued the honors of All-SWAC, NJCAA and NFCA Academic All-American, NFCA All-Region, NJCAA World Series All-Tournament Team, and just this year, a first team NJCAA Division I All-American in Angie Boardman. Williams currently has athletes competing at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels as well as NAIA.

Williams came to North Idaho College after attending Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon where she played softball for the Wildcats. Williams had a successful college career, receiving both All-Conference and All-District honors. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology/sociology in 1991, and continued her career at Linfield as an assistant coach in 1992, 1994, 1995, and 1996. Williams is continuing her education at the University of Idaho where she is working toward a master’s degree in adult and organizational learning. Williams spends a great deal of time as a student of the game and has enrolled in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Master Coach Program, where she has received a two-star rating. Williams resides in Coeur d’Alene with her husband Tony, their eight-year-old daughter Reilly, and two-year-old son, Rhys.

Ron Bradstreet

Assistant Coach

Coach Bradstreet returns for his fourth year as head of the Cardinal battery and with 18 years of coaching experience behind him, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the North Idaho College coaching staff.

Under Bradstreet’s guidance last year, the pitching staff rewrote the NIC record books in all categories from winning percentage to strike outs. Bradstreet was instrumental in the development of stand-out pitcher, Kelcey Cavan (University of Washingtion) which lead the nation in strike-outs for a season (404).

Bradstreet’s 2007-08 battery is anchored by one returning pitcher from the national runner-up team and two freshmen standouts.

“Coach Bradstreet is indisputably one of the best pitching coaches in the northwest,” said Head Coach Don Don Williams. “He has a trained eye to break down the pitching motion and he catapulted our battery to the top of the SWAC. Coach Bradstreet demands nothing but the best from our pitching/catching staff. His passion and hard work have helped take our program into the national spotlight.”

Coach Bradstreet arrived at NIC after an impressive career as head coach for a number of Spokane-area fastpitch and all-star teams which have competed at both the national and international levels. Coach Bradstreet has taken an active part in the development of softball in the Northwest. He was instrumental in bringing girl’s fastpitch to the Inland Empire as the co-founder of the Spokane Girls Fastpitch Association in 1981.

Coach Bradstreet and his wife Kathy reside in Spokane, Washington and have a son, Erik, and daughter, Tammy. They are the proud grandparents of Audra and Parker.

Ingrid Lochelt

Assistant Coach

Joining the NIC coaching staff for her inaugural season this fall is local standout Ingrid Lochelt, a graduate of Oregon State University. Lochelt began her collegiate career at Kentucky, then transferred to Oregon State where she helped mold Beaver softball into the Pac-10 powerhouse that it is today.

During her three-year career at OSU the Beaver’s captured the Pac-10 title in 2005 and continued to improve by winning their Regional and Super Regional in 2006 on their way to the first Division I College World Series appearance in the history of the program. Lochelt was a utility player for the Beavers, but spent a great deal of her time in the outfield.

“I will be looking to her a great deal in order to keep the balance our team will need,” said NIC Head Coach Don Don Williams. “We did great things in 2007, but that was last year. We need to appreciate and reflect upon it while not relying upon our success in the past to project our future. Ingrid knows first-hand how to better a team’s best showing in consecutive years and has the passion to transfer that knowledge into coaching.”

Lochelt is not a stranger to the Coeur d’Alene area. The former Timberwolf attended nearby Lake City High School where she piled up both team and individual accolades including an Idaho State Championship (2001), three league titles (2000, 2001, and 2002), four All-State and All-League selections (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002), and the honor of being named the North Idaho Softball Player of the Year in 2002.

“Ingrid has ties to the community that will help us in our recruiting,” added Williams. “Softball in the state of Idaho is getting better and better and it’s becoming more competitive to keep the talent at home.”

Coach Lochelt graduated with honors from Oregon State University in 2006. She earned a bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences with options in early childhood education and human services. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree from the University of Idaho in counseling and school psychology.