ATLANTA, Ga. (March 21, 2003) -- RUSSELL ATHLETIC and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) have selected Tonja Englund, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire head coach, as the 2003 RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year. Englund becomes the 21st coach in history to receive this accolade, which has been selected by the WBCA since 1983.

Coach Englund is in her 3rd season at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. This season she has compiled a record of 31-1, claiming the WIAC Tournament title for the 3rd time in the last four years. Today, Englund will lead her team to Terre Haute, Indiana to compete in the NCAA Division III Women’s Final Four against Eastern Connecticut State University at 8:00 p.m. (EST).

"RUSSELL ATHLETIC would like to congratulate University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire head coach Tonja Englund for being named the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year," said Rod McGeachy, Vice President of Marketing for Russell Athletic. "RUSSELL ATHLETIC knows that attaining the respect of ones peers is the highest accolade a coach can receive."

Englund is one of six WBCA National Coaches of the Year selected by the Association, which also names winners for each of the other four WBCA collegiate divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II, NAIA and JC/CC) plus the High School division. Each collegiate winner is selected through a two-level process. The first level is by region, in which coaches from each WBCA geographical region vote for their respective top coach. Englund, having received the most votes in WBCA Region 7, advanced as a finalist to the National level of the selection process along with the other six Region Coaches of the Year in NCAA Division III.

The WBCA NCAA Division III Coach of the Year Committee, chaired by Geraldine Seidle, Carnagie Mellon University, convened via conference call and selected Englund as its 2003 winner. The committee includes one representative from each of the eight NCAA Division III Regions: Karen Tessmer, Worchester State College (Region1); Cheryl Cole, Plasttsburg State University (Region 2); William Finney, Marymount University (Region 3); Amy Buxbaum, Juniata College (Region 4); Joy Scruggs, Emory & Henry College (Region 5); Brian Morehouse, Hope College (Region 6); April Arvan, Lakeland College (Region 7); and Jon Herbrechtsmeye, Bethel College (Region 8).

Englund and the national winners from the other five divisions will be presented to the WBCA membership at the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Coach of the Year Banquet on Monday, April 7, at 1 p.m., at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Ballroom. The banquet is part of the 2003 WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women's Final Four in Atlanta.

The following coaches earned RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Regional Coach of the Year honors:

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA visit its website at www.wbca.org.