Cheryl Sprangel was a trailblazer for women’s athletics at the University of Toledo, becoming the first Rocket head coach of a women’s sport to win a Mid-American Conference Championship. Sprangel coached the Toledo softball team for 14 years, racking up 461 career victories and 12 winning seasons.
The Rocket softball program was in just its fourth year of existence and coming off a 3-24 season when Sprangel took over the program. The transformation was immediate, as the Rockets went 27-19-1 in her debut season in 1984. Her teams went on to win MAC titles in 1985, 1989 and 1992, and came in second place six times. She won MAC Coach of the Year honors in 1985, 1989 and 1992. Her teams qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1989 and 1992. In 1989, the Rockets won the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship and advanced to the Women’s College World Series.
Sprangel coached two All-Americans at Toledo, Rhonda King-Randolph and Leigh Ross, and mentored four Academic All-Americans, as well. She left UT prior to the 1998 season to accept the head coaching position at Virginia, where she posted a 303-215 mark in eight seasons with the Cavaliers. When she retired from coaching in 2005, Sprangel ranked 22nd all-time among Division softball coaches with 763 victories.
Sprangel was also a trailblazer as a student-athlete, as she was one of the first two women in the state of Michigan to be awarded an athletic scholarship. She earned a basketball scholarship at Jackson (Mich.) Community College in 1975. She also played volleyball and softball at Jackson C.C. She later transferred to Michigan State where she earned three letters as a pitcher from 1977-79.
