Softball completes coaching staff with Forsythe, Henneke hires

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Mark Montgomery bio | Jeannie Douglas bio

GREELEY -- Northern Colorado softball coach Mark Montgomery finished up one of his first orders of business Wednesday with the official addition of Mike Forsythe and Aryn Henneke as members of his first Bears coaching staff.

The two will join Jeannie Douglas, whom Montgomery hired in mid-July.

Forsythe will serve as Northern Colorado’s pitching coach in 2010, continuing a role he filled the last two years at Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y. and before that for the Akron Racers of the Women's National Pro Fastpitch League.

Henneke will work with the Bears as a volunteer assistant coach after serving the last three years as head softball coach at Greeley Northridge High School, where she was twice honored as Northern Conference Softball Coach of the Year.

“We’re blessed to have two such fine people join us,” Montgomery said. “Now, with our staff complete we all look forward to continuing the success this program has achieved and raising it to even greater heights. It’s our goal to create a tradition of excellence at Northern Colorado, and completing this staff is another step toward reaching that mark.”

Forsythe brings with him to Greeley more than 47 years of softball experience, including collegiate stints at Fordham, Quinnipiac, Southern Connecticut State and Southwest Michigan College.

Forsythe had an immediate impact on the Fordham pitching staff in 2009, as Ram pitchers cut over half a run off the team ERA from 2008, while posting their lowest team opponent batting average in five years.

His resume also includes coaching a USA Softball 2010 Top 10 Player of the Year finalist in Jen Mineau and being tabbed as a member of the 2010 NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

In addition to coaching, he has served as lead softball instructor at Integrated Sports Training in Norwalk, Connecticut, where he's given lessons to a variety of age groups, while also being a featured pitching instructor at clinics and camps throughout the East Coast and Midwest.

“Mike’s a phenomenal pitching coach whose resume speaks for itself,” Montgomery said. “He will become an integral part of our success as we move forward.”

Henneke, who starred at Greeley Central before graduating in 1988 and playing Division I softball at Boston University, led Northridge to the 2007 Colorado state tournament after finishing as co- district-tournament champions that year. Henneke’s 2008 Grizzly squad won the school’s first Northern Conference softball title and advanced all the way to the Colorado Class 4A final eight.

“She played at the Division I level, has coached the sport and will bring a wealth of knowledge to our program,” Montgomery said. “We’re lucky to have her. She’s going to be a big plus for our program.”