Kate Markgraf

Markgraf served as a starting defender on the U.S. National Team from 1998-2010, earning two Olympic Gold medals and a silver medal. Markgraf won the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and finished third in both 2003 and 2007. She is currently ranked 11th in the world, male or female, in appearances for her country, starting 94% of those games. She was recently inducted to Michigan Sport Hall of Fame. She played professionally in the WUSA and WPS and was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. As a member of the Fighting Irish soccer team, she was a three-time All-American, earning conference and NSCAA tournament MVP honors while earning Dean's List in her program of studies. Following retirement in 2010, Markgraf became a sports analyst for both ESPN and NBC networks. Most recently she was selected as NBC's #1 color commentator for the 2016 Olympic Games women's soccer coverage in addition to men's Euros, Champions League games and the ICC tournament. She has a Masters in Kinesiology, with a focus on Sport Psychology, and a Masters in Counseling with a focus on children, adolescents, and young adult psychological development. Markgraf currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband and three children.

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