Teacher killed in St. Louis school shooting was on MSU's championship field hockey team
A longtime physical education teacher killed Monday when a gunman opened fire at a St. Louis High School had ties to Missouri State University.
Jean Kuczka, a graduate of Lindbergh High School, was recruited to play field hockey on scholarship for MSU, then known as Southwest Missouri State University.
As a goalkeeper, she was a member of the 1979 National Championship team.
"I was her coach and recruited her from Lindbergh," said Rhonda Ridinger, of Springfield. "She was just a very, very special person, very giving, and she gave 100% all the time."
Ridinger said despite growing up in St. Louis and returning there to work and raise a family, Kuczka had a love for MSU and returned periodically to cheer on the field hockey team.
"She has been back and forth," she said. "So many of the players from St. Louis come back."
Kuczka, 61, was one of two people fatally shot at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. Police said six others were injured before the shooter was shot and killed by police at the scene.
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The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Kuczka had taught at the school since 2008. In the article, daughter Abbey Kuczka was told her mother stood between the gunman and her students.
"My mom loved kids," Abbey Kuczka told the Post-Dispatch. "She loved her students. I know her students looked at her like she was their mom because a lot of them didn't have a good home life."
In an interview with the News-Leader, Ridinger said she wasn't surprised to read that account and noted Kuczka was fearless on and off the turf.
"Of course, Jean was the goalkeeper so she stood in front of balls all the time, keeping balls out of the cage," Ridinger said.
Ridinger said it was easy to recruit Kuczka to Missouri State because the player had her heart set on being a physical education teacher.
"That is all she wanted to do was teach physical education," she said.
Ridinger said Kuczka's college boyfriend, Steve, became her husband and the couple had five children.
"She was just a happy person. She was just so agreeable and loved the other players and she was just a joy to have on the team. We were so happy to have her," Ridinger said.
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In a statement Monay, Missouri State said Kuczka "was loved by so many."
"The heroes who ran to the gunfire today in St. Louis saved the lives of so many young people who should never have to start a school day by facing something so unimaginable," MSU said in the statement.
"One of those heroes was one of our own, Jean Kirk Kuczka, who was a physical education teacher at Central VPA, and lost her life protecting the students she loved so much."
The 1979 Division II National Championship team was honored on the MSU campus during alumni weekend in 2009. The players, many of whom were good friends, have kept in touch with each other and the coach.
"It is a horrible loss," Ridinger said. "She is such a special, wonderful person."
The 1979 team earned the only national championship that MSU won in field hockey. For the season, the team outscored their opponents by 119 goals and hold school records in both goals scored and goals allowed. They finished the season 28-2-1 record.
Four players and Ridinger were later enshrined in the Missouri State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
The entire team was enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in January 2010.
“Our hearts go out to the Kuczka family, friends and anyone affected by Monday’s senseless tragedy,” said Byron Shive, CEO and executive director of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. “We pray that God provides them comfort in this trying time."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Teacher killed in St. Louis school shooting played field hockey at MSU
