Central Michigan University Athletics
Jonker Goes For Career Win No. 800 This Weekend
5/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 3, 2002
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Veteran Central Michigan University softball coach Margo Jonker is on the verge of a coaching milestone.
Jonker enters this weekend's three-game series against Northern Illinois with 799 career victories. All of her wins have come in her 23 seasons at the helm of CMU's tradition-rich softball program.
The Chippewas host NIU for a single game on Friday, May 3, at 3:30 p.m., and a doubleheader on Saturday, May 4, at 1 p.m. CMU has won 20 straight MAC games and could wrap up the 10th MAC championship in CMU softball history this weekend.
Jonker's 800 victories at CMU would rank in several coaching categories:
* First all-time among all coaches in Central Michigan University history
* First all-time among all coaches in Mid-American Conference history
* Second all-time among Division I coaches in the state of Michigan
* 12th all-time in NCAA Division I softball
The only Michigan coach with more coaching victories at one school is former Detroit baseball coach Bob Miller who won 896 games from 1965-2000. The nearest MAC coach is current Western Michigan baseball coach Fred Decker who has tallied 737 wins with the Broncos.
Jonker's Milestone Victories
Wins Opponent Score Date Place
1 vs. Cameron State 2-0 3/14/80 Oklahoma City, Okla.
100 vs. Morehead State 6-0 3/25/83 Oxford, Ohio
200 vs. Western Michigan 2-0 4/27/85 Mount Pleasant, Mich.
300 vs. Western Michigan 12-8 3/11/88 Tampa, Fla.
400 vs. Texas A&M 4-0 3/8/91 College Station, Texas
500 vs. Ball State 2-1 4/15/94 Muncie, Ind.
600 vs. Toledo 6-1 4/1/97 Toledo, Ohio
700 vs. Baylor 1-0 3/10/00 Sunnyvale, Calif.
Did You Know ? -- Margo Jonker Edition
* Jonker started her CMU coaching career with four straight losses before picking up career victory No. 1 against Cameron State.
* In Jonker's 23 years at CMU, she has never had a losing season. The Chippewas were .500 (26-26) in 1993.
* Jonker and the Chippewas won 51 games during the 1982 season.
* Nine of Jonker's former CMU players are currently coaching in the college ranks.
Jacquie Joseph, Michigan State head coach
Leslie (Grimes) Phelan, Western Kentucky head coach
Kathy Leitke, Western Michigan head coach
Ann (O'Sullivan) Pierson, Eastern Michigan assistant coach
Brenda Schrader, Ball State assistant coach
Jill LeBourdais, Saginaw Valley State assistant coach
Jenny Bouck, Central Michigan graduate assistant coach
Kim Burke, UMass graduate assistant coach
Tina Kinney, Michigan State volunteer assistant coach
* Jonker was named National "Coach of the Year" in 1987 after leading CMU to the College World Series.
* In addition to the 1987 NCAA World Series appearance, CMU also played in the 1982 AIAW National Championships under Jonker.
* Softball isn't the only sport Jonker has coached at Central Michigan. She was the assistant volleyball coach under Marcy Weston for the 1979 and '80 seasons.
* Jonker was an assistant coach on USA Softball's gold-medal winning 2000 Olympic team.
All-Time Victories at a Division I Michigan Schools
896 Bob Miller Detroit Baseball 1965-2000
799 Margo Jonker Central Michigan Softball 1980-present
743 Carol Hutchins Michigan Softball 1985-present
737 Fred Decker Western Michigan Baseball 1976-present
658 Ron Oestrike Eastern Michigan Baseball 1965-87
637 Ray Fisher Michigan Baseball 1921-58
635 Ron Mason Michigan State Hockey 1980-2002
All-Time Victories at Mid-American Conference Schools
799 Margo Jonker Central Michigan Softball 1980-present
737 Fred Decker Western Michigan Baseball 1976-present
658 Ron Oestrike Eastern Michigan Baseball 1965-87
All-Time NCAA Division I Softball VictoriesWins Name Schools Years1022 Margie Wright* Illinois St./Fresno St 23
937 JoAnne Graf* Florida St. 19
921 Gayle Blevins* Indiana/Iowa 23
915 Mike Candera* Arizona 17
913 Judy Garman Cal State Fullerton 21
889 Bill Galloway* Texas A&M/La. Tech 24
883 Sandy Fisher Oklahoma St. 23
863 Yvette Girouard* La.Lafayette/LSU 22
840 Sharon Backus UCLA 22
840 Joyce Compton* Missouri/South Carolina 20
811 Linda Wells* Minnesota/Arizona St. 28
799 Margo Jonker* Central Michigan 23
773 Elaine Sortino* Massachusetts 23
768 Kathy Veroni* Western Illinois 29
* active coaches
All-Time Victories at Central Michigan University
799 Margo Jonker, Softball 1980-present 23rd season
516 Dean Kriener, Baseball 1985-98 14 seasons
456 Dave Keilitz, Baseball 1971-84 14 seasons
391 Marcy Weston, Volleyball 1974-88 15 seasons
233 Jerry Reighard, Gymnastics 1985-present 18 seasons
216 Ted Kjolhede, Men's Basketball 1957-71 15 seasons
210 Waldo Sauter, Baseball 1963-70 8 seasons
195 Chick Sherwood, Wrestling 1965-89 25 seasons
192 Dick Parfitt, Men's Basketball 1972-85 14 seasons
172 Dan Rose, Men's Basketball 1938-43, 1947-54 14 seasons
