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Womens Softball - Coaching Staff

Head Softball Coach Chris Helixon

Chris Helixon completed his second season as UW-La Crosse head softball coach in 2007. He led the Eagles to a 12-26 overall and 4-12 record in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in 2007. UW-L finished 19-21 overall and 7-9 in the WIAC in Helixon's first season in 2006. The Eagles have had five players named to the All-WIAC First Team in Helixon's first two years.

Helixon served as head softball coach at Viterbo University (Wis.) from 1998-2002 and was named the 2001 Midwest Classic Conference Coach of the Year. He compiled a 52-84-1 record at Viterbo.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in leadership psychology from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1990. Helixon was a three-year starter in the outfield for the Black Knights, and was awarded All-Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League Second-Team honors.

He earned his master’s degree in sports administration from UW-La Crosse in 1995 after a two-year graduate assistantship with the Eagles’ Athletic Department.
Helixon served as the assistant to the interim athletics director at UW-La Crosse in 1998.

Helixon worked as an operations intern with the St. Paul Slam Professional Basketball Team in 1996-97 and as an operations/facilities intern with the University of Kentucky Athletics Association in 1995-96.

Helixon has played on numerous fastpitch softball teams - most notably the Menomonie Blues and Colorado Springs Blues.

Helixon, his wife Tracy, and sons Isaac (5) and Michael (2) reside in Onalaska.

Assistant Coach Andrea Tsilis

Andrea Tsilis finished her second season as an assistant coach for the Eagles in 2007. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education from UW-L in 2004 and completed her master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in adventure education/outdoor pursuits in May, 2006.

Tsilis will assist with the Eagles’ pitching and catching duties this season.

Prior to coming back to UW-L, Tsilis served as an assistant coach at Viterbo University (Wis.).

A four-year letter winner during her career at UW-L, Tsilis was a All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) First Team selection in 2001, 2002 and 2003. She also earned All-Great Lakes Region Honors in 2002 and 2003.

Tsilis is third in career doubles (33) and home runs (10) at UW-L while ranking fourth in triples (9), fifth in batting average (.355), tied for seventh in RBI (68) and 10th in hits (130).

An avid powerlifter, Tsilis placed first at the 2006 Wisconsin and Minnesota State Opens in the 132-lb division. She was fifth at the 2005 Collegiate Nationals.