Karen Niemeier
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| Current team: Winnebago | ||||
| Career record: (1981-pres) | ||||
| Former school(s): none | ||||
| Other leadership: IHSSBCA board member | ||||
| IHSSBCA Hall of Fame (2006) | ||||
Karen Niemeier is the head coach at Winnebago High School in Winnebago, Illinois. She was the founder of the quizbowl program there in 1981, and has had one of the longest tenures of any quizbowl coach in Illinois. She is currently believed to hold the longest coaching tenure of any active coach in the state. As of 2008, her teams have won over 900 matches, and she is on track to be the third coach in state history to see 1,000 wins.
Her warm demeanor and modesty, coupled with her obvious experience and accomplishments ranks her as one of the most revered coaches in the state of Illinois.
Hall of Fame
In 2006, Coach Niemeier was inducted with the second class of the IHSSBCA Hall of Fame; only the third active coach to be so honored. Her citation reads:
- Founder and Coach of Scholastic Bowl at Winnebago High School 1981-_____
- Winner of 878 Matches; Masonic State Champion 1994; 8 Sectional Championships
- IHSA State Champion 1993, 1995; IHSA 3rd. place 1994, 2006
- Helped found and Charter Board Member IHSSBCA; Hosted first Masonic tournament
- Champions, National Scholastic Showdown, St. Louis, 1994
- Hosted Winnebago Invitational for 15 years