Fresno State Athletics
Wright Garners West Region Coach of the Year Accolades
6/28/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 28, 1999
Fresno, Calif. - Fresno State head softball coach Margie Wright garnered her seventh region coach of the year honor when she was voted 1999 Speedline Division 1 Regional Coach of the Year in the West Region by a vote of the National Fastpitch Coaches Associations member coaches.
Capturing Western Athletic Conference co-Coach of the Year accolades this season, Wright has now been honored as a conference and region coach of the year in the same year seven different times. Directing the Bulldogs to a 65-10 record and a fifth place finish at the NCAA Womens College World Series, she is the only coach in the programs history to garner regional coach of the year honors.
The other eight region coach of the year honors went to Michigans Carol Hutchins (Great Lakes), Oklahomas Patty Gasso (Midwest), Southern Mississippis Lu Harris (South), Florida Atlantics Joan Joyce (Southeast), DePauls Eugene Lenti (Mideast), Marylands Gina LaMandre (Mid-Atlantic), UMass Elaine Sortino (Northeast) and there was a tie in the Pacific Region with Oregon States Kirk Walker and Washingtons Teresa Wilson.
Along with the other honorees, Wright is in the running for National Coach of the Year honors that will be announced at the end of the month.
##############################
On the Olympic level, USA Softball will be one of five sports featured in an elite international competition that will take place at five different venues, Sept. 9-12, in San Diego, as the Bank of America/U.S. Olympic Cup will give fans a preview of the 2000 Olympic Games.
With more than 330 athletes from a dozen countries expected to compete, the "U.S. vs. The World" format will field USA Teams against high-ranking international opponents. The competitions will showcase womens basketball, men and womens beach volleyball, boxing, men and womens swimming and womens softball.
In softball, the top-rated squad and defending Olympic champion, USA will meet Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The venue site will be the NCRA/RIMAC Field on the campus of UC San Diego.
ESPN2 will televise six-and-a-half hours of competition and "U.S. Olympic Gold (a nationally syndicated program aired on NBC) will televise an hour of the event, including a 30 minute preview show and a half-hour highlight package.
Womens basketball will be held at the RIMAC Center at UC San Diego, men and womens swimming will also be held on campus at Canyonview Pool. Mens boxing will be featured downtown at The Concourse while mens and womens volleyball - a qualifying event for the 2000 Olympics -- will be showcased at Crowne Point Shores.
