Krista (Fosbinder) Demeulenaere (2007) - Hall of Fame

Krista (Fosbinder) Demeulenaere

Induction:
2007
Class:
1989

Becoming the first individual ever to pitch a no-hitter during the Illinois Girls Softball State Tournament and receiving such accolades as all-conference, all-state and all-tournament team honors set young Krista Fosbinder on the base path to achieving her goal of pitching for a Division I school.

The right-handed hurler, who was small but mighty, was given the challenge of controlling the tempo and speed of the game she loved in the spring of 1986, when she traded her Alleman High School Pioneers jersey for the purple uniform of the UNI Panthers.

Fosbinder’s presence in the circle was evident from the beginning. The Rock Island, Ill., native, who was once called a “student of the game” by former high school coach Steve Ebner, fanned 114 batters during her freshman campaign while winning 11 games, five of which were shutouts.

Her positive attitude and desire to excel continued throughout the rest of her four year career, in which she served as team captain during her senior year and earned all-Gateway Conference honors.

While many of her records have been surpassed, Fosbinder still holds the single season record for lowest earned run average, at 0.63, and the career record for lowest ERA, at 1.11. Her other career records include most games, 122, most complete games, 101, and and most shutouts, 28.

After receiving her degree in social work in 1989, Fosbinder spent time in a handful of different cities serving as a certified personal trainer, aerobics instructor and social worker before finding a place to call home in Pella, Iowa.

It is here that Fosbinder has combined her passion for athletics, leadership and volunteerism to make a positive impact on the community. She serves as a little league and Amateur Softball Association coach as well as a leader in events such as the Pella Basketball Explosion tournament, which hosts 48 teams, and the Soccer Excitement Tournament, which hosts 150 youth competitors. In 2005, she was recognized as the Iowa Soccer Association Volunteer of the Year. She also has served on Pella’s recreation board, little league board and helped establish an under-8 soccer and Central College soccer mentoring program in Pella.