Christie Leigh (Zinanti) Koschke


Year Inducted: 2020
Nominated By: Bob Zinanti (Father)
Sports Competed In: Basketball, Golf, Soccer
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Athlete

Christie KoschkeChristie Koschke

High School:
Attended Pueblo West H.S. from 2003-06... Earned 11 letterwinners playing for the Cyclones in three sports: basketball (four years), softball (four years) and golf (three years).

Achievements:
High School (Softball):
● PWHS Career Pitching Record: 61-18; ERA 0.42; Inning Pitched - 520; Strike Outs – 987.
● All-Colorado H.S. Pitcher (2004, 2005).
● Colorado H.S. 4A “Pitcher-of-the-Year” (2004, 2005).
● Colorado 4A State Champions (2004, 2005).
● Colorado State 4A MVP - The Denver Post & Rocky Mountain News (2004, 2005).
● Three-time Colorado All-State - 1st Team.
● South-Central League (S-CL) 1st Team All-Conference (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006).

Achievements:
High School (Basketball):
● Three-year letter winner - Captain Senior - (State Sweet 16).
● All-State Basketball - Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports (2006).
● All-State Honorable Mention (2006).
● S-CL 1st Team All-Conference 2006 (16.4 PPG).
● S-CL 2nd Team All-Conference (2005).
● Pueblo West High School MVP (2006).
● Pueblo West High School CO-MVP (2005).

Achievements:
High School (Golf):
Three-year letter winner (two-year state qualifier).

College:
Attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, from 2007-10... Played for the Cougar softball program that plays in the Mountain West Conference (MWC).

Achievements:

College:
● Named MWC "Pitcher-of-the-Year" (2009).
● 1st Team all-region selection (2009).
● Two-time 1st team all-MWC (2007, 2009).
● Five-time "Pitcher-of-the-Week" for the MWC.
● Listed Third all-time in several categories in the BYU Career Record Book: Wins (63), Complete Games (43), Shut Outs (15), Innings Pitched (574.2), Strike Outs (527) Strikeouts per 7 Inn. (5.74), Opp. Batting Avg. (.217) and All-Time Consecutive Scoreless Innings Pitch Streaks (23.0) which is ranked 5th all-time at BYU.

Coaching Career:
● Head softball coach at for seven seasons (2013-2019) at Colorado State University of Pueblo (CSU-P).
● Hired as the school’s fifth coach in 2013.
● During first season, her team received the RMAC Brechler's award for best team GPA 3.37 (2013).
● During her time guiding CSU-P, her teams has amassed:

49 - RMAC All-Academic recipients
26 - All-RMAC selections
10 - Pitcher of the week honors
7 - Player of the week honors
2 - Academic All-Americans (2017, 2019)
2 - Academic All-Region (2017, 2019)
2 - First team All-South Central Region (2013, 2019)
2 - Second team All-South Central region (2013, 2019)
1 - RMAC Player of the Year 2015
1 - RMAC Freshman of the Year 2014
1 - Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All District (2014)
1 - All-American Honorable Mention (2013)
1 - RMAC Summit Award winner (2013)
1 - Defensive Gold Glove

Honors:
● Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame inductee (2020).
● Colorado “Sportswoman of the Year” - Hall of Fame (2007).
● Colorado “Sportswoman of the Year” All-Around Athlete (2005).
● Colorado “Sportswoman of the Year” Softball Athlete (2004).
● Softball - Sports Illustrated “Faces in the Crowd” (January 2005).
● Women Sport Foundation Athlete of the Month (May 2005).
● National Punt, Pass and Kick Champion 9-year-old Division (1996).
● McNichols Arena for Tri-optimist Basketball Dribble, Pass, Shoot - local, region and state -1st Place.
● Coors Field - Colorado Rockies Challenge Run, Hit and Throw - local, region and state -1st Place

Related Activities:
Currently in high demand for speaking engagements at various softball camps and clinics around the country. Below are a list of camp/clinics she has worked at:

● Triple Crown Sports Softball Camps - Denver (2011-current).
● Colorado State University Pueblo Softball Camp (2012-current).
● Jerrod Hardin Camp - Denver (2013-2019).
● Mizuno Hawks Organization with Mark Doran - Chicago (2015, 2016).
● Florida State University Softball Camp (2014).
● USA Preps Lancaster California Pitching Instructor (2013).
● Evolution Head Softball Pitching Instructor (2011).
● New Mexico Highlands University (2011).
● Brigham Young University Softball Camp (2008-2010).

Personal:
Life-long Pueblo resident (33 years) … She is currently married to Josh Koschke.


GPSA "K" By The Numbers

LEGEND: p = awarded posthumously; ^= attended first meeting; * = deceased;+ = charter member (placed after year inducted)

 1
Athlete
Victor "Vic" Ford Keen (2016)

Athlete/Contributor
Todd Kelly (2023)

Attended First GPSA Meeting
Loren Kilstofte (2003*>)

Attended Pueblo Catholic H.S.
Joseph "George" Kaplan (2014)

Attended Pueblo Centennial H.S.
Todd Kelly (2023)

Attended Pueblo West H.S.
Christie "Zinanti" Koschke (2020)

Coach
Casey King (2023)

Football National Champion (MLFS)
Todd Kelly (2023)

Golf
Christie "Zinanti" Koschke (2020)

Softball
Christie "Zinanti" Koschke (2020)

Sports Information Director
Todd Kelly (2023)

Swimming
David S. Knapp (1988)

Volleyball
Casey King (2023)

Wrestling
Karl Frederick Kottenstette (2019)

 2
Athlete/Coach/Official
Karl Frederick Kottenstette (2019)
Kirk E. Kochenberger (2010)

Attended H.S. in Colorado
Casey King (2023)
John Mall H.S., Walsenburg, CO
Jerry H. "Kerz" Kersey (2008*p)
Rye H.S., Rye, CO

Attended Pueblo South H.S.
Charles Allen Kochenberger (2001)
David S. Knapp (1988)

Boxing
Prince Knafelc (1988*)
Gary L. Knafelc (1973+*)

Coach/Administrator
John LeGrand Klomp (2014)
Willard Stanley Kettering (1978)

Contributor
Rocky Khosla, M.D. (2020)
Loren H. Kilstofte (2003*>)

GPSA Charter Member
Thomas E. Keach (1973+)
Gary L. Knafelc (1973+*)

Track
Victor "Vic" Ford Keen (2016)
Thomas E. "Tom" Keach (1973+)

3
Attended H.S. Outside Colorado
John LeGrand Klomp (2014)
Wesleyville H.S., Wesleyville, PA
Loren H. Kilstofte (2003*>)
Winona H.S., Winona, MN
Willard Stanley Kettering (1978)
Lisbon H.S., Lisbon, IA

4
Baseball
Todd Kelly (2023)
Casey King (2023)
Joseph "George" Kaplan (2014)
Gary L. Knafelc (1973+*)

5
Athlete/Coach
Joseph "George" Kaplan (2014)
Charles Allen Kochenberger (2001)
Prince Knafelc (1988*)
David S. Knapp (1988)
Gary L. Knafelc (1973+*)

Honorees Deceased
Jerry H. "Kerz" Kersey (2008*)
Loren H. Kilstofte (2003*>)
Prince Knafelc (1988*)
Willard Stanley Kettering (1978*)
Gary L. Knafelc (1973+*)

6
Attended Pueblo Central H.S.
Karl Frederick Kottenstette (2019)
Victor "Vic" Ford Keen (2016)
Kirk E. Kochenberger (2010)
Prince Knafelc (1988*)
Thomas E. "Tom" Keach (1973+)
Gary L. Knafelc (1973+)

7
Basketball
Todd Kelly (2023)
Casey King (2023
Christie "Zinanti" Koschke (2020)
Victor "Vic" Ford Keen (2016)
Kirk E. Kochenberger (2010)
Jerry H. "Kerz" Kersey (2008*p)
Charles Allen Kochenberger (2001)

8
Football
Todd Kelly (2023)
Karl Frederick Kottenstette (2019)
Joseph "George" Kaplan (2014)
John LeGrand Klomp (2014)
Kirk E. Kochenberger (2010)
Jerry H. "Kerz" Kersey (2008*p)
Prince Knafelc (1988*)
Gary L. Knafelc (1973+)

 

18
Honorees in "K" Section

 

REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN GPSA INDUCTEES

The Greater Pueblo Sports Association (GPSA) has announced a list of honorees that have passed since the 2023 induction ceremony on Nov. 15.

 

 

Daniel RosalesDaniel
Rosales

12/13/2023
Class of 2002

Everett C. ThalhamerEverett C.
Thalhamer

12/23/2023
Class of 2014

Bob GrahamBobby Max
Graham

02/26/2024
Class of 1990

Joe BonaquistaJoe
Bonaquista

07/16/2024
Class of 1977