The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has selected University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s Pat Ebel as its 2011 NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.
Ebel led UW Oshkosh to its ninth national outdoor title with a dominating performance at the NCAA Division III Championship held May 26-28 in Delaware, Ohio. The Titans had four individual champions at the meet and scored 54 of its 80 points in the discus, hammer throw and shot put events. Wartburg College (Iowa) finished second in the team standings with 59 points, while Methodist College (N.C.) placed third with 48 points.
Winning event titles for the Titans at the national championship were Christy Cazzola , a sophomore from Kaukauna, in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:22.11, Jecel Gerner, sophomore from Markesan, in the shot put with a distance of 49-7, Holly Ozanich, a senior from Green Bay, in the hammer throw with a school-record mark of 200-0 and Breanna Strupp , a sophomore from Slinger, in the discus with a measurement of 160-5.
At the WIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship held May 6-7 in Platteville, Ebel guided UW Oshkosh to its 11th conference outdoor crown. The Titans won the meet with 185 points, while UW-Eau Claire finished second with 143.
UW Oshkosh had three multiple event champions at the conference meet, as Cazzola won the 800-meter and 1,500-meter run, Camille Davis, a senior from Green Bay, the 100-meter and 200-meter dash and Ozanich the hammer throw and shot put. Strupp added a first-place finish in the discus.
Ebel, who directed UW Oshkosh to its seventh NCAA Division III indoor title in March, is in his second season as head coach of the Titans. Ebel is the second National Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year honoree from UW Oshkosh, with the other being Deb Vercauteren in 2004.
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