When you are 5’11” and a female athlete you get a lot of funny nicknames thrown your way and some of them stick. Such was the case for Lori Warkentin-Schoene when one of her classmates dubbed her “Amazon Woman.”
Lori will probably go down as one of the greatest softball pitchers in North High’s history but she was also an outstanding volleyball and basketball player. Playing varsity in all sports throughout her high school career, her size played a big part of that.
Not one to brag about her accomplishments, she was first team all-SYL in softball in both her junior and senior seasons. She gives a lot of credit to her coach, Karen Wass. In volleyball, playing for Coach Judy McDole, she was voted “Most Inspirational.” She missed her entire junior year in volleyball and suffering a severely sprained ankle when she landed on the foot of teammate Jill Turner in practice.
Lori gives a lot of credit to all the great people at North High, particularly teachers Bill Bimat, Dick Heber, Mrs. Turney and Turk Eliades. And her coaches as well, Karen Wass and Judy McDole. She remembers Heber, himself a baseball player at Cal, offering to catch her practicing pitching and being shocked at how well he handled her.
After high school she accepted a full ride scholarship to play softball at UCLA. It must have been the right decision since she was able to be a part of the 1982 Lady Bruins team that won the National Championship.
One of her greatest individual memories from UCLA was pitching an entire 21-inning game against the University of Arizona and losing 1-0 on an error. She outlasted three U of A pitchers but suffered a heart breaking loss.
She said she had trouble moving the next day. You think?
She was named MVP of other tournaments but claimed her greatest accomplishment was marrying Craig Schoene who was himself a heavyweight wrestling medalist at the Pan Am Games. Craig also coached wrestling at North High in 1983.
They proudly have three children, Brian, Amanda and Daniel. All turned out to be terrific athletes. Brian wrestled at BHS at 215#, earning 3rd in the State meet. A back injury ended his career after offers from Stanford and CSUB. Amanda was a standout volleyball player at BHS, and then attended a JC in Nebraska for two years before returning home to CSUB. She also played both volleyball and sand/beach volleyball for the Lady Roadrunners. Daniel, the baby (?) of the family stands 6’6” and 310 lbs and was an outstanding tackle for the Drillers the past three seasons.
Also a wrestler and track and field athlete, he’s headed to UNLV next year on a scholarship.
She has dedicated her life to God and her family. Lori currently works as a Labor and Delivery RN at Mercy SW Hospital. I think the babies are in good hands with “Amazon Woman.”