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Fischer's staff garners another top honor
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[JULY 10, 2006]
NORMAL --
As if being recognized as the top coaching staff in the Missouri
Valley Conference wasn't enough, Illinois State head coach Melinda
Fischer and her assistants have been recognized as the Speedline/National
Fastpitch Coaches Association Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of
the Year.
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Fischer's staff, which includes assistant coaches Tina Kramos and
Bill Kennedy and volunteer assistant Bill Dickson, collected the top
honor after guiding Illinois State to an overall record of 38-16,
including the program's first NCAA tournament berth since 2001.
En route to the NCAA regionals, Fischer's squad swept a pair of
road games against Missouri State, winning the regular-season
conference crown in a dramatic fashion, to claim the team's first
Valley championship since 2003. At the league's annual postseason
banquet on May 10, the Illinois State staff members were honored by
their peers as the Valley Coaching Staff of the Year. Four Redbirds
were also named to the all-conference first team.
The 2006 season was especially significant for Fischer, as the
23-year coaching veteran picked up her 700th career victory on April
15 with a shutout against Evansville. She now owns a 712-483-3
record, with an impressive .594 winning percentage.
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 Lacy Lee Baker, executive director of the National Fastpitch
Coaches Association, felt that Fisher's fellow coaches made a good
decision by selecting the Redbird coaching staff as the recipient of
the award.
"Being chosen as the Speedline/NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of
the Year is a tremendous honor, as it is voted on by fellow coaches
to recognize the top staff in each region," said Baker. "The award
reflects the outstanding season Illinois State enjoyed, and Melinda
Fischer and her staff are very deserving of this honor."
The Illinois State coaching staff will be honored, along with the
national winners from all other divisions, at the 2006 NFCA National
Convention in Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 6-9.
[Illinois
State University news release provided by Kristen E.
Greenstreet, media relations graduate assistant] |
