COLUMBIA, MO -- Katy Cruisers 18-U Gold head coach Jimmy Lyons and assistant coaches George Campbell, Alan Anders and Joe Danos have been selected Speedline/NFCA Travel Ball Coaching Staff of the Year for 2001.

Lyons and his staff led the Cruisers (Katy, Texas) to a 26-4 record and their second consecutive 18-U Gold national championship. The Cruisers are the first team to win back-to-back 18-U Gold national titles since the tournament was inaugurated in 1994.

The Cruisers staff will be recognized as the 2001 Speedline/NFCA Travel Ball Coaching Staff of the Year at the NFCA National Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona, in December.

Among the finalists for the award were the coaching staffs of Sudden Impact 18-U Gold, Chino, California (Skip Matulik, head coach; Steve Ellery, assistant), Olathe Rockets 14-U, Olathe, Kansas (Rosie Rader, head coach; Tom D'Andrea, Steve Jobe and Kirt Kimerer, assistants), St. Louis Illusions 18-U, St. Louis, Missouri (Ira Bergman, head coach; Sam Wilson, Randy Carns and Jack Wedemeier, assistants), Washington Heat 18-U, Lacey, Washington (Wayne Hardy, head coach; Doug Scrima and Bill Dutra, assistants), the CY-Fair Intruders 18-U, Houston, Texas (Dan Johnson, head coach; Tony Smith and Richard Heath, assistants), Da Bomb Squad 14-U, Granbury, Texas (Gary Leland, head coach; Robert Crowell, Mike Seaman and Don Basham, assistants) and the Fairfax Firebirds 16-U, Fairfax, Virginia (Tom Luckett, head coach; John Duda and Joe Wagner, assistants).