Softball Coaching Staff

Shanda Ness, Head Coach (3rd year)

Ness enters her third season as Cornell's head softball coach after guiding the Rams to a banner-filled campaign in 2008.

Ness' young 2008 squad finished 18-17 overall and 7-9 in the Iowa Conference. The Rams tied the school's single-season record for wins, established eight school records and earned the program's first berth in the Iowa Conference Tournament. Cornell secured its first winning season in 15 years, nearly reversing its 11-20 mark in Ness' first season in 2007.

Prior to landing at Cornell, Ness compiled 164 wins in eight seasons at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. After going 9-20 in her initial season, Ness turned around a program that would post five consecutive 20-win seasons and one conference championship. Ness was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2003.

Ness earned a bachelor of science degree in health, physical education and recreation from Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., in 1993. She received a master of arts degree in teaching from Northern State in 1994. From 1994-97, Ness coached and taught at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., where she started the softball program.

From 1997-2005, Ness coached and taught at Gustavus Adolphus. Ness was Assistant Athletic Director at Camp Laurel in Readfield, Maine, during the summer of 2005 before taking the job as Recreation Coordinator for the city of Waterville (Maine) in August 2005.

Ness has been an assistant volleyball coach at Cornell the past two years and held similar positions at Dakota Wesleyan and Gustavus Adolphus. Ness has 10 years of experience as an instructor for physical education and health science courses.

Ness was voted Cornell's Female Coach of the Year for the 2007-08 season. She also is in her second year as Senior Women's Administrator at Cornell.

Paige Telecky, Pitching Coach (1st year)

Telecky (formerly Stamp), a pitching great at Lisbon High School and an All-American at Coe College, begins her first season as pitching coach on Cornell's softball staff.

Telecky was a three-time all-Iowa Conference selection at Coe from 1998-2000 and earned NCAA Division III First Team All-America honors by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in 2000. She compiled a 57-26 record on the mound at Coe and holds school records for strikeouts in a season (306 in 1999) and strikeouts in a career (718). Telecky ranks third in career pitching wins and was also a .375 career hitter for the Kohawks, fifth on the school’s all-time charts.

“Obviously we’re thrilled to have Paige at Cornell,” Cornell head coach Shanda Ness said. “Her addition is another big step for our program to be able to compete with the top teams in the Iowa Conference. Paige brings experience and had a lot of success in college. She will challenge our pitchers to get them to that next level. She knows how to win.”

During her senior season at Coe, Telecky posted a 27-5 mark and a 0.97 earned run average while guiding the Kohawks to a share of the league championship and a berth in the 2000 NCAA Division III Tournament. As a junior, she went 25-9 with a 0.85 ERA.

Telecky played one season at NCAA Division I University of Illinois-Chicago in 1996-97 before transferring to Coe. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Coe in 2000.

“I’m looking forward to working with Shanda. She definitely has the program going in the right direction,” Telecky said. “I love softball and love working with pitchers. This is an exciting opportunity.”

Telecky was one of the most dominant high school pitchers in Iowa state history, prepping at Lincoln (1992) and Lisbon (1993-96). She was inducted into the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s Softball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Telecky was a four-time first team all-state (all classes) selection and named Class 1A Player of the Year in 1996, 1995 and 1994. She fashioned a 159-16 high school record and led the Lisbon Lions to three consecutive state championships (1994-96). Telecky still holds single-season state records for ERA (0.04 in 1994) and strikeouts (590 in 1996).

Telecky and her husband, Kyle, reside in Mount Vernon with their two daughters, Nadia, 5, and Vail, 3.
 

  Dan Gratz, Student Assistant Coach (1st year)

Gratz, a Cornell freshman, joins the Rams' coaching staff as a student assistant in spring 2009.

Gratz is a 2008 graduate of Oregon (Wis.) High School, where he competed in football, baseball, wrestling and track. He has softball experience coaching 10U and 12U girls' fastpitch. 

Gratz is a member of Cornell's wrestling team, competing at 157 pounds. He is majoring in kinesiology.