Lake Forest College Sports Information
June 20, 2002
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Kanney, Pier and Popovich Named National Coaching Staff of the Year
Foresters' trio best in the business, according to peers
  

 Diane Kanney headed the best coaching staff in Division III, according to other coaches around the country.
COLUMBIA, MO - A month to the day after competing in the championship game of the NCAA Division III National Tournament, the Lake Forest College softball coaches have been named 2002 Speedline/NFCA Division III National Coaching Staff of the Year. The Forester staff was selected by its peers as the Speedline Division III Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year after Lake Forest won the regional tournament on May 13 and was then placed on the national coaching staff of the year ballot. They will be recognized as the National Coaching Staff of the Year at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Convention in St. Petersburg, Florida, in December.

Head Coach Diane Kanney, with the help of assistants Chris Pier and Jill Popovich, guided Lake Forest to a runner-up finish at the 2002 NCAA Division III national championship tournament. The Foresters compiled a 34-12 record in 2002 and won its first Midwest Conference Championship since 1988. Lake Forest was ranked No. 2 in the year-end USA Today/NFCA Division III Top 25. Prior to this season, the team had never won more than 18 games nor qualified for NCAA post-season play.

The 2002 Foresters also set school records with 23 home runs and a team earned run average of 1.03, which ranked among the top 10 in the country. While Kanney lost four starters to graduation in May, the entire pitching staff will be back in 2003. Also returning are players who accounted for 19 of the homers as well as 11 individual single season school records.