Lou Ann Simchak is one of the finest all around athletes in Westfield State history. The Westfield native excelled in basketball and softball while attending Westfield State from 1975-77. 

In basketball, she was the team Most Valuable Player in 1975 and received an invitation to the Olympic basketball tryouts in 1976. 

In softball, the 1977 Westfield State graduate was the team MVP in 1976 and a key player on the 1975 squad that posted an 18-2 record and captured the Mass. State championship. Simchak batted .508 that season with 30 runs batted in and a team-high six home runs. She was a standout catcher with a career batting average of .494. 

Simchak went on to have a stellar 15-year semi-pro softball career with the Westfield Whips. She was a five-time all-star selection, team MVP, a seven-time captain, and participated in three national tournaments with the highly regarded fast pitch team. Simchak also competed on the international level with a U.S. Eastern All-Star team vs. the Venezuela national team. 

During her high school years, Simchak found the time to participate in five sports: basketball, softball, field hockey, tennis, and track and field. She was the Westfield High School Most Valuable Player in basketball for three years and for a year in softball. In track and field, Simchak was the Western Mass. champion for two years in both the javelin and the 440-yard dash. She was selected the high school's top athlete during her senior year in 1972. 

Following her high school graduation, Simchak was offered a full basketball scholarship at Northland College in Wisconsin. She played there for a year before transferring to Yankton College in South Dakota, where she also received a scholarship. Simchak attended Westfield for three years and received a B.S. degree in health and physical education. 

Simchak has been involved with numerous athletic organizations during the past quarter century. She has coached high school and recreational girls' basketball, and has officiating experience in five sports: basketball, field hockey, volleyball, softball, and baseball. 

Simchak has served as the head coach of the Westfield State softball team since 1999, and is the director of the College's intramurals athletics program.