COLUMBIA, MO -- College of DuPage (IL) head softball coach Deb DiMatteo and her assistant coaches, Margo Unterseh and Danielle Cline, have been named the 2001 Speedline/NFCA NJCAA Division III National Coaching Staff of the Year.

Under the guidance of DiMatteo, Unterseh and Cline, the Chaparrals became the first team in the five-year history of NJCAA Division III to win back- to-back national titles. DuPage finished with a 43-9 record on the way to winning its third NJCAA Division III National Championship. DiMatteo is 602- 267 in 22 seasons and has guided DuPage to five consecutive trips to the national tournament.

The DuPage staff will be recognized as the 2001 Speedline/NFCA NJCAA Division I Coaching Staff of the Year at the NFCA National Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona, in December. They were first selected by NFCA member NJCAA Division III head coaches as the Speedline Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year. They were then placed on the national ballot.

Other Speedline top regional coaching staffs, as selected by their coaching colleagues, are:

West Region - Dawson Community College (MT)

Bill LaFond, Head Coach; Dean Svenvold, Ray Glueckert and Dan Harrison, Assistants

Dawson's final season record of 22-23 was deceiving as the Buccaneers were 14-5 against NJCAA Division III competition. They won the Region 9/13 Championship to advance to their first appearance in the NJCAA Division III nationals, where they finished third. LaFond has been the head coach for two seasons and the fastpitch program at Dawson is only four years old.

East Region - Camden County College (NJ)

Angelo DiFronzo, Head Coach; Heather McGeary, Assistant

Camden finished the 2001 season with a 23-11 record, 13-5 in the conference and 10-4 in the region. They lost to Brookdale, N. J. in the regional championship game. DeFronzo has a career record of 210-106 and earned his 200th career win this season. In 10 seasons, DiFronzo has been in five regional final games and three regional semifinal games.