Listed at 5'0", she played in seven basketball games in her first year at Saint Mary's under legendary head coach Marvin Wood. A few months later, she capped off a stellar first season with the softball team by posting a school record .542 batting average while going a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts. A pitcher and outfielder in her first two seasons, she also had 16 complete games and an impressive 11-5 record in the circle. It was clear that the softball field - a place where size does not matter - would be her area to shine.
During her sophomore season, her production on the basketball court increased considerably after playing in 19 of the team's 21 contests that season. On the softball field, she continued to play a big part in the team's success as the Belles won 23 games - the most in program history. Michelle had a .370 batting average with 37 hits in just 34 games played while also adding eight more pitching wins.
The conclusion of Michelle's junior season with the Belles saw the Saint Mary's softball team post 20 wins for the second consecutive year. She and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Andrea Arena were nearly unstoppable at the plate. Limb collected 44 hits on the year and boasted a .415 batting average while setting the single season school record with 21 stolen bases.
The softball team made it three years in-a-row with at least 20 wins for the first time in program history in 1996. When the final out was recorded that season, the softball team had collected more wins over a four-year period than any other four-year span in the history of the program with 79 victories. Michelle capped off one of the strongest careers in softball history through the first 20 years of the program. She tallied a career-best 44 hits and posted a team-best .414 batting average. She also was a perfect 19-for-19 in stolen bases.
At the time of her graduation, Michelle had more than a handful of school records to her name. Her career on-base percentage of .499, 134 total games played, 159 career hits, and 64 career stolen bases were the highest marks in Saint Mary's softball history. She had staked the claim to single season school records with 21 stolen bases as a junior and a .542 batting average in her first year. Her career batting average of .423 was also the second-highest all-time. To this day, her school records for both single season batting average and single season stolen bases still stand.
Away from competition, Michelle was a strong student and was named to the Dean’s List multiple times. She was also involved in both the Spanish Club and the Education Club, although we are not sure where she managed to find the time after balancing the demands of being a two-sport athlete for four years.
Michelle graduated in May 1996 with degrees in Spanish and elementary education. She currently serves as the principal at St. Raphael School in Santa Barbara, California, and is on the leadership council for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She also teaches spinning at a local athletic club.
