| Women's Basketball Head Coach - Tonja Englund
The 2002-03 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and NCAA Division III Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coach of the Year, head coach Tonja Englund begins her fourth season at UW-Eau Claire after posting a school record 32-2 overall record and third place finish at the NCAA Division III post-season tournament. During Englund's tenure the Blugolds have posted an overall record of 74-15 and have two WIAC regular season titles, two WIAC post-season tournament championships and two appearances in the NCAA tournament.
On the road to the final four the Blugolds went a perfect 16-0 in WIAC play-only the fourth time such a feat was accomplished in conference history, won the WIAC post-season tournament and hosted four home games in the NCAA tournament.
The 2002-03 team featured three First Team All-WIAC, one All-Defensive Team and the WIAC Conference Player of the Year in Kristi Channing. Three Blugolds also earned All-Central Region recognition and one achieved All-American status in two separate publications.
The past year the Blugolds averaged a team grade-point average of 3.4 on a four point scale. Channing demonstrated both athletic and academic success as she was named the WIAC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
Supported by a large and loyal fan following, the Blugolds led all of Division III women's basketball in attendance in 2002-03 averaging 1,294 fans per home game. In three WIAC tournament games the Blugolds averaged 1,536 fans and 1,761 fans in six NCAA tournament contest. During their NCAA run the Blugolds averaged 2,103 fans in their first four tournament games-all played at Zorn Arena.
Prior to Eau Claire, Englund was the head girls' coach at Roseville High School for six seasons. In her final year at Roseville (1999-00), Englund had the No. 1-ranked team in the state heading into the Minnesota state tournament. Englund was a Ms. Basketball Minnesota Chairperson, a region representative, a member of the Girls' Basketball Advisory Council and a member of the All-Star Selection Committee.
A Twin Cities native, Englund prepped at Hill-Murray High School where she was All-Conference, All-Metro, All-State and All-America. The four-year starter was captain and team MVP as a senior, Hill-Murray Athlete of the Year, MVP of the 1987 Minnesota state tournament, MVP of the 1988 Minnesota All-Star Game and a Ms. Basketball Minnesota finalist.
Englund started her collegiate career on a full scholarship at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. She earned All-Conference honors as a freshman but after starting there for two seasons, returned to her home state to finish her career near her family. In 1991, Englund transferred to the University of St. Thomas where she led the Tommies to a national championship and was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.
During the summer Englund is the camp director of the Blugold Girls' Basketball and Leadership Camps that has enrolled over 1,500 campers in the past two years.
Englund earned her bachelor's degree in physical education and coaching in 1994 and then received her master's degree in athletic administration from St. Thomas in May of 1998.
At Eau Claire, Englund is an instructor in addition to advising students in the Coaching minor program within the Department of Kinesiology and Athletics.
Updated 6/20/03
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