Hilt-Costello earns ITA Coaching Award
May 18, 2004
LONG BEACH, CA-- Long Beach State's Jenny Hilt-Costello was selected today as one of eight Wilson/ITA Regional Coaches of the Year. All eight Regional coaches will be up for the national award when it is announced this Sunday in Athens, GA. Hilt-Costello was also honored by being named the Big West Conference Coach of the Year.
Hilt-Costello was named as the West Region Coach of the Year, which encompasses Southern California, Arizona, Hawai'i and Nevada. She is the first Big West Conference recipient since UCSB's Chris Russell in 1994. USC's Richard Gallien was the winner last year.
This award goes to a coach who is in at least their fourth year at their current school and includes team performance during this current year, sportsmanship of the coach and players and the coach's contributions to the game of tennis.
Hilt-Costello led the 49ers to an 18-9 mark in 2004, a Big West Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Regionals, just the second ever in school history. Hilt-Costello also picked up her 100th career victory on April 24 when the 49ers defeated Cal Poly 4-2 in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament at Indian Wells.
Hilt-Costello just completed her seventh year as the 49ers head coach and has led The Beach to four consecutive winning seasons, two Big West titles and two trips to the NCAA Regionals.
2004 Wilson/ITA Coaches of the Year
East: Chad Skorupka, Yale
Southeast: Nancy Harris, Clemson
South: Lise Gregory, Florida State
Midwest: Lin Loring, Indiana
Central: Kathy Kolankiewicz, New Mexico
Southwest: Tony Minnis, LSU
Northwest: Patti Fendick McCain, Washington
West: Jenny Hilt-Costello, Long Beach State
Past Wilson/ITA West Region Coaches of the Year
2004: Jenny Hilt-Costello, LBSU
2003: Richard Gallien, USC
2002: Kevin Cory, UNLV
2001: Sheila McInerney, Arizona State
2000: Stella Sampras, UCLA
1999: Gualberto Escudero, Pepperdine
1998: Peter Mattera, San Diego State
1997: Ola Malmqvist, UNLV
1996: Bill Zaima, UCLA
1995: Bill Zaima, UCLA
1994: Chris Russell, UCSB
1993: Becky Bell, Arizona
1992: Becky Bell, Arizona
1991: Gualberto Escudero, Pepperdine
1990: (co) Bill Zaima, UCLA and
Sheila McInerney, Arizona State
1989: Bill Zaima, UCLA
1988: (co) Bill Zaima, UCLA and
Sheila McInerney, Arizona State |
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