Bio

One of the great power hitters to ever play softball at Cowley College, along with being the school’s first two-time all-American, Suzanne Kerr was inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kerr, who holds seven school-records, played at Cowley during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. She later spent three seasons (2004-06) as an assistant coach for the Lady Tiger softball team, helping coach the school’s only other two-time all-American in Ashly Bright, who broke four of Kerr’s former records. Kerr heard about Cowley while playing softball at Derby High School.

“I remember an older player from Derby went there and was very successful,” Kerr said. “I always read about her in the Derby paper, and thought Cowley sounded like a great program.”

Former Cowley assistant Brian Bush played baseball with Kerr’s older brothers and recommended her to Tiger softball coach Ed Hargrove. Kerr never really played competitive softball until the summer after her senior year of high school. The summer before coming to Cowley, she was asked to play for a summer “A” ball club that would travel on weekends to tournaments and practice during the week.

“I was excited, because that whole summer, I just played ball everyday,” Kerr said. “I worked hard that summer, not knowing what to expect going into the college scene. I remember not getting to play much in the fall season of my freshman year, but that winter, I worked really hard on hitting, and getting stronger.”

The hard work paid off as Kerr went on to establish 12 offensive records before her two years at the school were over. She still holds the school record for highest batting average in a season (.500), highest batting average in a career (.485), triples in a season (13), triples in a career (25), runs batted in in a season (75), runs batted in in a career (133), and total bases in a season (154). She helped Cowley capture back-to-back Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division titles and finish with a record of 74-18 during her two seasons.

Kerr has fond memories of her time at the school. “I loved playing for Ed, they were the best two years of my college softball career,” Kerr said. “The college was always so supportive of athletics, you couldn’t find that anywhere else.”

Despite the Lady Tigers tremendous success, Cowley failed to advance to the national tournament. “We never could make it to the end, and win the Regional title,” Kerr said. “I remember crying after my sophomore year and getting a huge hug from Coach Ed and thanking me for my efforts.”

In 1997 Kerr was named Jayhawk East Freshman of the Year, first-team All-Conference first baseman, first-team All-Region VI first baseman, and was selected as the team’s Offensive Player of the Year. In 1998, she was named Jayhawk East Most Valuable Player, a first-team All Jayhawk East outfielder, first-team All-Region VI outfielder, and was selected as the team’s Most Valuable Player.

“Suzanne is probably one of the top two or three players we have ever had,” Hargrove said. “She had a refuse to lose attitude. Every time she was up she felt she was going to be successful.”

She went on to play two years at Fort Hays State University where she was named All-Conference (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) both years. Kerr went on to serve as an assistant coach for the Derby Lady Panther softball team after graduating from Fort Hays and then served as an assistant coach for the Butler Community College softball team for two years. She then joined the Lady Tiger coaching staff and helped Cowley to a pair of fourth place finishes at the NJCAA National Championships. Cowley won three consecutive conference titles and went 144-38 during Kerr’s three years as an assistant.

“I believed in Ed’s philosophies and coaching style as a player and continued to as his assistant,” Kerr said. “We always seemed to recruit players with the same mentality and work ethics, which made it easier to coach. I think that’s what made our teams so successful. Ed and I got along great, and I think that made a difference too.”

Hargrove was happy to see Kerr get inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in her first year on the ballot. “She is very deserving of the honor and had a lot to do with our success as a player and a coach,” Hargrove said. “It couldn’t happen to a better person.”

Kerr is currently working for Communities In Schools for Sedgwick County. She is the health project coordinator. She will also be coaching softball this spring for Derby High School.

She and her husband, Mike Unruh, were introduced through former Lady Tiger Lacey Pendry, who holds the school record for home runs in a season (14).

The couple, which lives in Haysville, recently had their first child as Kinlee Kate Unruh was born on Nov. 22, 2007.

Being inducted to the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame means a lot to Kerr. “I remember walking recruits through the gym and making sure they noticed the hall of fame wall and how special that it was to have that at Cowley,” Kerr said. “Hopefully now, I can show the girls that it can happen, and hope to become a role model for their college career success as well. I loved being a Tiger, as a player and a coach. It means so much to me now, to be recognized for doing something that was fun and that I loved.”