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Issued: October 27, 2006

MONSON NAMED WIAC COACH OF THE YEAR

MADISON – At the conclusion of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships, it was announced that UW-Eau Claire women’s tennis head coach and Eau Claire native Craig Monson was selected as the WIAC Coach of the Year.

In his third season with the Blugolds, Monson led his team to a 20-4-0 fall record that went 10-1 in all dual meets and 5-1 in WIAC dual meets. In the championships every singles and doubles competitor was still in contention after day one and every doubles duo made it to the championship. In the end the team took second in overall WIAC Championship standings behind UW-La Crosse.

The 20-4-0 mark is Monson’s best record in his three years after going 14-11-1 and 15-11 the previous two and this year’s team has yet to play the spring season. He also totaled dual meet marks of 4-2 and 6-7 in those seasons. The 10 dual meet victories are most since 2002 and this year’s Blugolds will have spring matches to increase that total.

The team was in first place for the season until the last match of the year when La Crosse beat them and overtook first place. In the championships, the doubles team of Kristie Carlson (Jr.-Arden Hills, MN/Mounds View) and Brenna McCormick (Fr.-Greendale) won in No. 2 play while Gina Dahl (Fr.-Fort Atkinson) and Liz Deprey (Jr.-Green Bay/Notre Dame) took No. 3 doubles. McCormick took the championship in No. 6 play for the lone singles champion. It was the first singles champion since 2002 and the first time Eau Claire had two doubles champions in the same year since 2002.

The runner-up spot in the WIAC Championship ranks resulted from six regular season points and 12 WIAC Championship tourney points.

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