Meet WHS Softball's New Coach Melissa Chmielewski
Meet WHS Softball's New Coach Melissa Chmielewski
Chmielewski comes to Wayzata after spending one season at North Dakota State University as an assistant coach. She primarily as NDSU’s hitting coach, but worked with the infield as well. She also managed the equipment budget, assisted with scouting, recruiting, and academics. North Dakota State finished the season with a 42-16 record and hitting .304 with 48 homeruns. NDSU was eliminated from the Minnesota Regional before seeing the University of Minnesota advance to the WCWS. Prior to NDSU, Chmielewski spent three seasons as head coach at Missouri Southern State University (2016-2018), leading the Lions to a 73-91 record competing in the MIAA. The Lions had not made the conference tournament in the 5 seasons prior to Chmielewski taking over. In her first conference season they came up one game shy, but the second season they finished 4th place overall and took their first trip in 6 seasons to the tournament. She was promoted from assistant coach in 2015. Prior to working in Joplin, Mo., she compiled an 18-23 record as head coach at Eagan (Minn.) High School from 2013 to 2014. Chmielewski took over a 1-19 team, quickly moving to 9-10 in her first season. She also coached girls hockey at EHS. Chmielewski was a graduate assistant at Minnesota State Moorhead while earning her master’s degree in education leadership in 2012.
A two-time NFCA All-Midwest Region selection and CoSIDA Academic All-American, Chmielewski was part of the NDSU transition from Division II to Division I teams from 2007-10 that compiled a 142-85 record including 47-14 in the first three years in the Summit League. She was a valuable member of the 2009 NCAA Norman Region championship team that advanced to the Tempe Super Regional. The Bison also played against No. 1 Washington in the 2010 NCAA Seattle Regional. The Circe Pines, Minnesota native set numerous North Dakota State softball single-game, single-season and career records including all-time records with 1,310 putouts and 1,415 fielding chances. She shares the single-game marks with a pair of home runs and five hits, and holds the record with eight RBI and 11 total bases.
Chmielewski is now teaching Health & Physical Education at Wayzata High School as well as being hired to coach the softball program in 2020.
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