COLUMBIA, MO -- University of Nebraska, Omaha head coach Jeanne Tostenson and her assistants, Michala Lehotak and Cory Petermann, have been named the 2001 Speedline/NFCA National Division II Coaching Staff of the Year.
Tostenson, Lehotak and Petermann guided the Mavericks to the 2001 NCAA Division II Championship in only Tostensen's second season as head coach.
The UNO staff was selected by its peers as the Speedline Division II North Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year and was then placed on the national coaching staff of the year ballot. They will be recognized as the 2001 Speedline/NFCA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year at the NFCA National Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona, in December.
Other Speedline top regional coaching staffs, as selected by their coaching peers, are:
Great Lakes Region - Grand Valley State University (MI)
Doug Woods, Head Coach
Liz Henk, Assistant
GVSU was 48-7-1 this year and finished third in the Great Lakes Region after
winning the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) championship.
Woods was named GLIAC Coach of the Year and Erin Burgess was named GLIAC
Player of the Year. Burgess was one of four GVSU players named to the all-
conference first team.
South Atlantic Region - Kennesaw State University (GA)
Scott Whitlock, Head Coach
Don McKinlay,-
Deb Sonnenberg
Jill Friedman
Marty Rafter, Assistants
The Owls finished with a 48-11 overall record after turning in a seventh-
place (tie) finish at the NCAA Division II tournament. This was Kennesaw's
sixth national finals appearance in seven years in Division II and their
third consecutive South Atlantic Region championship. Whitlock was named
Peach Belt Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and Lisa Macki was named
PBAC Freshman of the Year as Kennesaw State won the PBAC championship with
a 19-1 conference record.
South Region - University of Alabama-Huntsville
Les Stuedeman, Head Coach
Karl Tunon, Assistant
UAH finished 52-14 overall, fifth (tie) in the Division II Championship.
They also won the South Region and Gulf South Conference championships. The
Lady Chargers won the Gulf South Conference North Division and Gulf South
Conference Tournament championships and Stuedeman was named GSC Coach of the
Year.
West Region - Humboldt State University (CA)
Frank Cheek, Head Coach
Jennifer Bagley,
Matt Weiner, Assistants
Humboldt State was 53-14-1 and third in the Division II Championship. They
also took the West Region championship and won the Pac West Conference
title. Bagley has since accepted the head coaching position at Missouri
Western State College.
South Central Region - Eastern New Mexico University
Kathleen Rodriguez and James Rodriguez, Co-Head Coaches.
Dana Lambert, Graduate Assistant Coach
The Zias were 32-10-1 and tied for fifth in the Division II Championship.
This was ENMUÃs first appearance in the national finals and Kathleen
Rodriquez made it all the more memorable by giving birth to a son during the
natinal tournament. James and Kathleen were named Lone Star Conference
South Division Coaches of the Year as ENMU won the South and finished second
in the LSC Tounament.
Mid-Atlantic Region - Bloomsburg (PA)
Jan Hutchinson, Head Coach
Susan Kocher and Keri O'Meara, Assistants
The Huskies (44-7) posted their second consecutivetop four finish at
Division II nationals and their second consecutive Mid-Atlantic Region
title. Hutchinson was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern
Division Coach of the Year and Bloomsburg also produced the PSAC Eastern
Division Softball Athlete of the Year (Erica Miller) and Rookie of the Year
(Amber Cowher). Miller was also the Division II softball nominee for the
Honda Award.
Northeast Region - Dowling College (NY)
Jim Kiernan, Head Coach
Deidre Kelly and Lorraine Bouklas, Assistants
Dowling was 39-17 this year (after an 0-5 start) and made its first
appearance in the Division II Finals. They won the Northeast Region
championship. The Golden Lions won the New York Collegiate Athletic
Conference regular season championship with a 20-4 conference record.
