Kate Markgraf '98 (Women's Soccer) 2018-19 Monogram Club Staff

Kate Markgraf joined the Monogram Club’s presidential rotation as vice president in October 2017. She began a two-year term as Monogram Club President in April 2022. Markgraf has been a member of the Monogram Club Board since 2009.

Markgraf graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1998 after a stellar four-year career with the women’s soccer team, which included winning the program’s first national championship in 1995. Following graduation, she embarked on a professional soccer career that distinguished her as one of the best and most successful defenders in the history of the U.S. Women’s National Team. In August 2019, the USWNT named Markgraf as its first-ever general manager. She served in that role until August 2023.

Markgraf was a member of Team USA’s historic 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Team that won the tournament in front of more than 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It is still the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s sporting event anywhere in the world. More than 40 million more watched the game on television in the United States in what was a watershed moment for women’s athletics. Markgraf started for Team USA in two more World Cup tournaments, in 2003 and 2007. The U.S. finished third in both of those tournaments.

Markgraf also played major roles for Team USA in three Olympic Games, winning gold medals in 2004 and 2008, and a silver medal in 2000. She finished her international career at the end of 2010 having played in 201 games for her country, the seventh-best all time in USWNT history. She started a remarkable 185 of those matches. At the end of her international career, Markgraf was co-captain of the USWNT.

The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native attended Detroit Country Day High School. At Notre Dame, she started all 96 games during her career and was a three-time All-American, earning first-team honors twice. She was named Defensive MVP of the Final Four as the Irish captured the 1995 national title. She was a three-time All-Big East selection and the Big East Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. She also represented the USA at the youth international level while at Notre Dame.

Formerly Kate Sobrero, Markgraf married former Providence College soccer player Chris Markgraf in 2003 and started playing under her married name in 2004. Markgraf is a mother of three, giving birth to twins, a girl Carson and a boy Xavier, in the summer of  2009. Her first child, son Keegan, was born in July of 2006. Markgraf came back from both pregnancies to resume her playing career.

Markgraf played three seasons of professional club soccer for the Boston Breakers in the WUSA. She sat out the inaugural season of the USA’s new women’s professional soccer league (WPS) in 2009 to have her twins. She was the captain of the Chicago Red Stars of WPS in 2010 where she also was voted to the All-Star team. 

Markgraf also has extensive broadcasting experience. During her time at ESPN, she worked as an analyst for both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup, along with serving as a studio analyst.

Markgraf was accepted into Northwestern Law School in Chicago and Northeastern Law School in Boston, but deferred due to her soccer career. She earned a degree in Science Business at Notre Dame and was a member of the Dean’s List. Markgraf is currently involved in many charities around the country. 

Among the many accolades she has earned during her career, Markgraf’s image is depicted in a mural at the Detroit International Airport honoring accomplished people from the state of  Michigan. She was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.