A four-year starter behind the plate for the UNI Panthers, Karen (Vande Voort) Harrill’s athletic skills as a softball player were equally matched by her academic success in the classroom. Harrill is being recognized this fall with the Merlin Taylor Academic Hall of Fame Award from the University of Northern Iowa.

Harrill’s impact on the UNI softball program helped the Panthers build towards a record-breaking season in 1994 with the program’s first 40-win season. She was named University of Northern Iowa Softball Rookie of the Year in 1991, Second Team All-MVC conference selection in 1993 and First Team All-MVC conference selection in 1994. She was also the University of Northern Iowa’s NCAA Woman of the Year in 1993-1994.

Harrill, a NFCA Second Team All-Region and MVC All-Tournament Team selection, was named an MVC First Team Scholar-Athlete during her junior and senior campaigns (1993, 1994), and also earned College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American recognition in 1992 and 1994. As of today, she is one of 11 Panthers all-time to earn multiple CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, and was only the second to receive recognition in consecutive years at the time of her graduation.

After graduating from UNI, Harrill would go on to coach high school softball in Iowa at Lynnville-Sully, Union, and her alma mater, Pella Christian, where in 2021 she would take the Eagles to their first state tournament since her senior season in high school in 1990. Today, she serves as an assistant coach at Marshalltown Community College and currently resides north of Pella.