Birthdate: June 12, 1945
Birthplace: Storm Lake, Iowa
High School: Versailles High School (Versailles, Missouri)
College: Concordia Teacher’s College (Nebraska)
Year Inducted: Charter Class of 2006

Karen Wittrock graduated from Concordia Teacher’s College, Seward, Nebraska in 1967. She received the Athlete of the Year award in 1966-67 and participated in Field Hockey, Basketball, Track and Field and Softball. Going to school part time she received her Master’s in Education from Kent State. Since that time she has done continuing education in Physical Education at Cleveland State University. Karen spent over 40 years at Lutheran West High School, where she began her teaching career. She has taught Physical Education, Health and been co-director of the intramural program (38 years). At the same time she was Girls Athletic Director for the Greater Cleveland Lutheran Elementary Schools League from 1972-2003. Her additional teaching duties included Math for 30 years. She also officiated basketball (25 years) and volleyball (38 years). Her current basketball record is 628 wins and 167 losses. They have won 20 conference championships, 22 sectional, seven district, one regional and one state runner-up. Karen has coached in the North-South All-Star game (1998), been named Ohio Coach of the year four times and conference Coach of the year 20 times.

Some of the honors Karen has received include Bob Arnzen Award For Longevity, National Outstanding Coach of Year Award given by the National Women’s Sport Foundation, Lutheran West High School Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Magazine Hall of Fame (Ohio), and the Concordia University Sports Hall of Fame in Seward, Nebraska in 2002.