BALTIMORE, Dec. 12, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FieldTurf and the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) announced the winners of the 2008 FieldTurf Lacrosse Awards today. The announcement, made by FieldTurf executives and the IMLCA, took place at the IMLCA Annual Convention in Baltimore. Award winners were named in seven categories, including 6 college coach of the year winners and 1 team of the year winner. This year's winners are:
* NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year (Men's Lacrosse) - Dom Starsia, University of Virginia * NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year (Women's Lacrosse) - Kelly Amonte Hiller, Northwestern University * NCAA Division 2 Coach of the Year (Men's Lacrosse) - Jack Kaley, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) * NCAA Division 2 Coach of the Year (Women's Lacrosse) - Ginny Martino, West Chester University * NCAA Division 3 Coach of the Year (Men's Lacrosse) - Sean Quirk, Endicott College * NCAA Division 3 Coach of the Year (Women's Lacrosse) - Patty Kloidt, Hamilton College * NCAA Team of the Year - Northwestern University Wildcats (Women's)
DOM STARSIA (UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA)- Widely regarded as one of the best teachers, motivators and tacticians in the game, Dom Starsia has been at the helm of men's Cavalier lacrosse for 17 years. Three national championships in the last 8 seasons, in addition to a 14-4 record in 2008 (including playoffs and the ACC tournament) make Don an easy choice for this year's Men's NCAA D-1 Coach of the Year. Don is highly respected in his community, in the world of lacrosse, and with the University of Virginia.
KELLY AMONTE HILLER (NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY) - A repeat winner from the 2006 FieldTurf Awards, the name Kelly Amonte Hiller has become synonymous with excellence in the world of college lacrosse. In 2008, Amonte Hiller was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame. Since 2000, she has compiled an impressive 111-24 record (.822) and has led the Wildcats to four straight NCAA national championships. With a 21-1 record again in 2008, Amonte Hiller turned in another dominant performance, as expected.
JACK KALEY (NYIT) - Another repeat winner from the class of 2006 FieldTurf Awards, Jack Kaley has been one of the sport's premier lacrosse coaches over the last 15 years. His teams at NYIT have reached the NCAA Division II national championship game six times, and have won the national championship four times, including an undefeated season in 2003. Kaley's team won the championship in 2008, making Jack a shoo-in for this year's award.
GINNY MARTINO (WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY) - Now entering her 11th season on the sidelines, West Chester University women's lacrosse head coach Ginny Martino has built the Golden Rams' program into a perennial Division II national power over the past decade, methodically orchestrating one of the most impressive runs in college athletics. Ginny won the 2007 FieldTurf Division 2 Coach of the Year award and had another banner year in 2008. After losing their first game of the year, Martino's Golden Rams bounced back with 20 straight wins to finish the season at 20-1. For the second time in the last seven years, West Chester claimed the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse championship in 2008.
SEAN QUIRK (ENDICOTT COLLEGE) - After posting an 18-3 record in 2008 (including tournaments), Quirk's Gulls have enjoyed considerable success in recent years and won the ECAC title this year with a convincing victory. Quirk is one of the game's best coaches and is known as an exceptional motivator around the circles of lacrosse.
PATTY KLOIDT (HAMILTON COLLEGE) - Coach Kloidt guided Hamilton to a 21-1 record and the first NCAA team championship in the College's history in the 2008 season. The 21 victories are a program single-season record. Kloidt owns an overall record of 76-27 in six years at Hamilton. The Continentals have won 22 straight games at Campus Road Athletic Field and 20 in a row against Liberty League opponents. Hamilton captured the league's regular season and tournament crowns in 2007 and 2008.
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (WOMEN'S) - With a great coach and great players, it is no surprise that the women's Northwestern Wildcats are a lacrosse dynasty and well deserving of the 2008 FieldTurf NCAA Lacrosse Team of the Year award. After winning this year's title game, they were invited to the White House and appeared on ESPN broadcasts. They are only the second team in the history of Division I women's lacrosse to win four consecutive titles.
The 2007 winners of the FieldTurf lacrosse awards were: Jeff Tambroni (Cornell University) as NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year (Men's Lacrosse), Julie Myers (University of Virginia) as NCAA Division 1 Coach of the Year (Women's Lacrosse), Mike Pressler (Bryant College) as NCAA Division 2 Coach of the Year (Men's Lacrosse), Ginny Martino (West Chester) as NCAA Division 2 Coach of the Year (Women's Lacrosse), Jim Berkman (Salisbury) as NCAA Division 3 Coach of the Year (Men's Lacrosse), Missy Foote (Middlebury) as NCAA Division 3 Coach of the Year (Women's Lacrosse), and Cornell University as NCAA Team of the Year.
The FieldTurf Coach of the Year Awards recognize a coach's dedication and hard work both on and off the field. The coaches that have been and will be selected for this award all exemplify outstanding leadership skills and enjoy well-deserved success. Special attention is given to coaches who are able to significantly improve their team's effort, performance, and overall record from previous years, along with coaches who enjoy success with young and inexperienced teams.
The FieldTurf Team of the Year Awards acknowledge teams at all levels of sport that show a passion for the game, along with dedication to team play. The teams that will be selected for this award will be teams that have enjoyed success and made considerable improvements from previous years within their respective leagues.
The FieldTurf system, like most winning combinations in sport, is fundamentally different from all others. FieldTurf replicates a natural grass surface, but offers the durability and cost benefits of synthetic fields. FieldTurf does not rely on an underlying shock pad for resilience and player comfort. Like its natural grass cousin, FieldTurf's grass fibers are surrounded and stabilized by FieldTurf's patented mixture of smooth, rounded silica sand and cryogenic rubber granules.
For more information, please visit www.fieldturf.com/awards