Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame
From a small town in northeastern Washington state, to a sacred place in the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame, softball standout Emilee (Lepp) Gisler’s playing career stands among the very finest in Wildcats sports history. The 2023 Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame inductee is easily considered one of the best pure athletes to have ever worn a Linfield University sports jersey.
Graduating from tiny Colville High School, Emilee wasn’t sure if she had what it took to get recruited by big schools. Western Washington University and Weber State offered only partial scholarships to play softball and Whitman College was recruiting her to play volleyball.
When Wildcats coach Jackson Vaughan mailed her the 2007 season highlight DVD, she became intrigued by the idea of playing at Linfield. Says Emilee: “I felt I would match well with that level of competition and have the potential to get a lot of playing time right away. I went for a visit and attended the winter camp and fell in love with the campus and the small community feel.”
True to her words, Emilee made an immediate impact during her first season in 2009, helping the Wildcats come from behind to defeat host East Texas Baptist at the regional tournament. It was Emilee who delivered the game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning, pushing the Wildcats into the championship game.
A year later, the Wildcats went 4-0 at the regional tournament, beating tournament favorite St. Thomas twice, to advance to the NCAA Championships in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The Wildcats eventually reached the national championship game, only to fall just short in a 5-4 loss to East Texas Baptist. That season, Emilee hit .406 with 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.
As a junior in 2011, Emilee put together one of the finest individual seasons ever recorded in Division III history, leading the Wildcats to the program’s second national championship in five years.
Statistically, she led NCAA Division III in runs batted in (94), slugging percentage (1.089), and runs scored (74), recording a team-best 21 stolen bases. In Division III single-season history, Emilee remains first in home runs (29) and home runs per game (.537). She’s second all-time in Division III in RBIs, third in runs scored, and fifth in hits.
Emilee says the 2011 team’s drive to the national championship was built on “just sheer grit, determination and love for our teammates that propelled us from one obstacle through to the next to ultimately win the whole thing. We were so mad about the loss we took to ETBU in the championship game the year before that there was literally nothing that would’ve stopped us the following year. The way that particular team was so close, bonded and in sync with each other is something that I feel truly honored to have been a part of.”
She followed that record-breaking season by leading Linfield to a 46-7 record in 2012 and a return trip to the NCAA Finals. Her statistical line included 17 home runs, 67 runs scored and 29 stolen bases, leading to a second-straight team MVP award and repeating as a first team NFCA All-American.
Brushing personal achievements aside, Emilee says “There was no one superstar or one hero on our team – we all were heroes on different days and different games. We all had our moments to shine. That carries with me to today in every job where I’ve worked in a team environment, and in my family life where I’ve needed to rely on my village for support with each new child I’ve brought into the world, and in my personal life.”
Since graduating from Linfield in 2012, Emilee has spent seven years as a physical therapist assistant, specializing in pelvic health. When her youngest son Quade was born last fall, Emilee decided to launch her own business in order to be able to work from home and be with her older kids and new baby. She now works as a certified Online Business Manager, supporting female entrepreneurs who have various businesses in pelvic health, women’s health and health and wellness.
Another major lesson that influences Emilee in her day-to-day life, she says, is “Confidence in what you do only comes from thorough preparation, perseverance and hard work. Every single one of us were amazingly talented, but had we only relied on that, we would’ve absolutely fallen short. Instead, we put our heads down and worked our butts off, physically, mentally and emotionally. That carries with me into my life today.”
Emilee and her husband, Steve, live in Colville, about 70 miles north of Spokane. They are raising three kids: Ridge, 5, Avery, 3, and 1-year-old Quade.
