Kristina Schmidt
Central 1984
Sports have provided Kris Schmidt with great opportunities throughout her life. From earning a scholarship to college, to playing on championship softball teams, to helping her develop the skills required for a successful career in the United States Secret Service, sports have played a role.
In 1995, Schmidt began her career in the Secret Service at the Kansas City field office. She was assigned to a Joint Financial Crimes Task Force, where she investigated counterfeiting, bank fraud and credit card fraud. After being transferred to Springfield, Mo., she worked with the police department and the sheriff ’s department to develop a similar task force.
While in Missouri, Schmidt worked a variety of dignitary protection assignments which included the president and vice president of the United States, former presidents, presidential candidates and foreign heads of state. In 2000, she was transferred to the Presidential Protective Division in Washington, D.C. Schmidt was assigned to protect both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush and their families. Her career has taken her across the U.S. and to foreign countries that include Russia, China, Israel, Peru, New Zealand and South Africa. She now is assigned to the Chicago field office as an assistant to the special agent in charge.
Schmidt was an important component of Central’s state championship softball team in 1981. With the help of coach Don Rothermich, she earned an athletic scholarship to play for the University of Missouri (1985-88), where she set the school season records for hits (77), batting average (.410) and putouts. She also established career marks for hits (212), batting average (.350) and slugging percentage (.438). She was a three-time All Big Eight selection who twice earned All Midwest honors, and was an All American athlete in 1986.
After graduation, Schmidt became a probation and parole officer in Columbia, Mo. In 1989, she returned to Mizzou to become an assistant coach for the softball team and to work on her master’s degree. She helped coach the Tigers in one of their most successful seasons, finishing fifth in the nation in 1992.
Schmidt continued her playing career and won Amateur Softball Association National Championships with the Ballwin Saints (1990) and the Raybestos Brakettes (1991 & 1992). She also played for the U.S. National Softball Team and won gold medals at the Pan American games in Santiago, Cuba (1991) and at the International Cup in Beijing, China (1992).
Schmidt graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Missouri in 1988. She earned her master’s degree in social work in 1991. In 1999, she was inducted into the University of Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for her outstanding athletic and academic career.