Kristen Kuhlman Westrate attended Vicksburg High School from 2006-2010 and was a three-sport athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and softball all four years of her high school career. She was married Feb. 1 to her supportive husband, Tyler Westrate. She graduated from Vicksburg High School in 2010 and continued her softball career at Central Michigan University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences. She then went on to continue her education and pursue a doctorate degree in physical therapy at Grand Valley State University. She graduated in August of 2019 and is now working as a physical therapist at Armor Physical Therapy Clinic in Portage.
Kristen enjoys spending time with her family. She was active and involved in the school and community during her years in Vicksburg. She started in second grade in Tobey elementary when her parents took teaching and administrative jobs in the Vicksburg school system. She said her parents did a great job in influencing her to give back. Her best sport was softball and she received an academic and athletic scholarship to play at CMU as a pitcher and outfielder. She now lives in Kalamazoo with her husband. “I feel very honored to be inducted in the Hall with Diane Fort, who was my teacher in high school, and with Doug Stafinski, who was the announcer at my basketball games,” she said.
Her list of athletic accomplishments as an athlete are impressive and listed on her award plaque:
Earned 10 Varsity Letters -Volleyball 3- Basketball 3- Softball 4
Susan Little Best Female Athlete Award Winner 2010
Basketball Team Captain 2009 and 2010
Most Improved Player Award 2006
Most Valuable Player Award 2009 and 2010
Wolverine Honorable Mention All-Conference 2009
Most Valuable Player Award in Softball 2009 and 2010
Selected Wolverine All-Conference in Softball 2009 and 2010
Selected MHSAA All-District Team 2009 and 2010
Selected MHSSA All-Regional Team 2009 and 2010
Selected MHSSA Honorable Mention All-State 2010
Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Academic All-State 2009
Softball Team Member Wolverine Conference Champions 2007-2008-2009-2010
Team Member Central Michigan University Varsity Softball 2010 to 2015
Mid-American Conference Team Champions 2012
Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week 2012
Team Player of the Game Award Recipient 2015 (CMU vs Ball State)
Community Volunteer at CMU in the Special Olympics Summer Games
Volunteer Assistant for Parkinson’s Patients at Grand Valley State University
Earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Central Michigan University 2015
Earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Grand Valley State University 2019
Beside all of this, she graduated magna cum laude from CMU (2015) and was on the Dean’s List (2012-2015).