University of North Carolina Greensboro - Pine Needles Yearbook (Greensboro, NC)

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Spartan Success Story by TY BUCKNER Intercollegiate athletics have ex- isted in some form at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for as long as anyone can remember. Over the last three to four years the UNC-G athletic program has enjoyed success like never before. Having firmly aligned itself with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III two years ago, the athletic program has steadily improved. Spartan teams are now nationally competitive. The achievements of two UNC-G teams in 1982 bear witness to the re- cent upswing of the athletic program. In March, the women ' s basketball team, under first year head coach Lynne Agee, reached the final game of the inaugural NCAA Division III Championship tournament before losing by one point in overtime. Then, in November, the soccer team captured the University ' s first team national championship by winning the ninth NCAA Division III title under the guidance of coach Mike Berticelli in his third season. UNC-G has become a Dixie Inter- collegiate Athletic Conference cham- pionship contender in each of the eight league sports that Spartan teams participate. For example, every UNC-G team recorded an upper-division (top four teams) finish during the 1981-82 year, and five teams captured conference regular season or tournament championships. Four outstanding coaches have been largely responsible for the Spar- tan teams ' success, and they were recognized for their efforts. Soccer and golf coach Mike Berticelli, who came to UNC-G from Thomas Col- lege of Maine in 1980, was named South Region Soccer coach of the year in 1980 and 1981. Women ' s basketball and tennis coach Lynne Agee, who came from Roanoke Col- lege in 1981, was Dixie Conference women ' s basketball coach of the year following the 1981-82 season and was runner-up in balloting for national Division III coach of the year honors. Volleyball and Softball coach Tere Dail, after four seasons as a head coach at UNC-G, has been named Dixie Conference coach of the year in both sports. Ed Douma, who succeed- ed coach Larry Hargett as men ' s basketball and tennis coach, brought nine years of head-coaching ex- perience when he came in 1982 from Kent State University of Ohio, a Division I Program. UNC-G athletes have won numerous All-Dixie Conference awards over the past several years and some have received all-region honors as well. Four players have been accorded All-America recogni- tion. They are golfer Joe Caldiera in 1980, golfer Ryan Fox in 1981, women ' s basketball player Carol Peschel in 1982, and soccer player Louis Johnstone in 1982. 12 — Opening

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Opening — 13