LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Guiding North Idaho College to its first Northwest Athletic Conference championship, head coach Don Don Williams and her staff have been named the 2018 NFCA NWAC National Coaching Staff of the Year. Under the direction of Williams and assistant coaches- Shay Fuson, Laura Fierro and Dan Silva- the Cardinals finished 2018 with a 50-3 record and the first title in their fourth season of NWAC play.

NIC ended the season on a 23-game winning streak as it swept all five games of the NWAC championship tournament, defeating Columbia Basin, Mt. Hood, Walla Walla, Edmonds and Lower Columbia on its way to the crown. The Cardinals defeated Lower Columbia, 8-5, in the title game. A three-run home run by Jori Kerr put NIC up 6-1 in the third, however Lower Columbia chipped away and following a two-run homer by Christin Robbins in the fifth cut the lead to 6-5. NIC bounced back with two insurance runs in the sixth and held on for the three-run win.

Under Williams, who started the program in 1998, the Cardinals were an offensive juggernaut, leading the league in almost every offensive category. Averaging 12.4 runs per game, NIC hit .468, launched 119 home runs and slugged .820. The Cardinals roped 154 doubles and recorded a .532 on-base percentage. Additionally, NIC’s pitching staff led the NWAC with a 2.51 ERA and held their opposition to a .242 batting average.