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Minnesota Valley Lutheran head softball coach and former Martin Luther College head softball coach Barb Leopold will be honored on Feb. 6 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul on the 33rd annual National Minnesota Girls and Women in Sports Day.
She will be receiving a 2019 Special Merit Award.
Leopold came to MLC in the 1974-75 school year and started coaching on campus. In 1978, she took over the softball program and continued to help elevate the Knights as a contender in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference through her retirement in 2014.
Over 40 years at MLC, Leopold served as athletic director for two years and assistant athletic director for 35 years. She coached both men's and women's cross-country for 23 seasons, basketball for 16 and softball for 37, and also served as an assistant volleyball coach for two seasons. She earned conference coach of the year honors three times in each of the sports she coached, including one final award in 2013 when she was named the UMAC Softball Coach of the Year after her team set the school record with 21 wins and earned a spot in the conference championship game.
The 2019 ceremony starts at noon and will honor 22 individuals, groups or programs that will receive awards in six separate categories. Award recipients are nominated by schools, community organizations, recreation centers, and amateur and professional sports organizations. All are invited to attend this special event at no cost.
Minnesota Girls and Women in Sports Day is organized by the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership. For more information, visit www.ngwsd-mn.com.