STANDISH, Maine - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced the 2017 WBCA Victory Club honorees on Thursday and Saint Joseph's College Head Coach Mike McDevitt '82 is one of the 45 coaches from NCAA and NAIA institutions to be recognized
One of eight women's basketball coaches to reach the 500-victory mark during the 2016-7 season, McDevitt guided the Monks to a 24-5 overall record with a 15-1 mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play last winter. He notched his 500th career victory in the GNAC Championship on February 25th, when his Monks defeated Emmanuel College, 81-70, in the conference title game in overtime.
The WBCA Victory Club honor is bestowed annually on each WBCA member head coach who achieves a milestone of 200, 300, 400, 500 or more career victories during the current season on the level of competition at which they currently coach. Victories recorded at differing levels of competition cannot be combined.
With a 500-191 (.724) in 25 years as a college head coach, McDevitt became the 30th NCAA DIII Women's Basketball skipper to reach the 500-victory mark and currently ranks 20th among active head coaches in career wins.
McDevitt, who garnered GNAC and Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) Coach of the Year accolades following the completion of the most recent season, has won 11 conference crowns with a total of 17 twenty-win seasons in his career.
Last winter, Saint Joseph's went 24-5 overall with a 15-1 record in GNAC play en route to earning the top seed in the conference's North Division. In GNAC Tournament action, the Monks successfully defended the 2016 crown with three tourney triumphs, including the championship victory over Emmanuel. With the automatic qualifier awarded to the GNAC Champion, Saint Joseph's advanced to NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years, but saw the 2017 season come to a close with an opening-round 65-44 loss at the hands of #4 Tufts University – which advanced all the way to the national championship - on March 3rd.
2017 Victory Club Honorees:
|
Name |
School | Victory Date | Victory Number |
| Karen Aston | Texas | 1/7/17 | 200 |
| Courtney Banghart | Princeton | 2/3/17 | 200 |
| AnnMarie Gilbert | Virginia Union | 2/4/17 | 200 |
| J.D. Gravina | Western Illinois | 1/17/17 | 200 |
| Robin Harmony | Lamar | 2/25/17 | 200 |
| Kim Lusk | St. Thomas Aquinas | 2/1/17 | 200 |
| John Margaritis | UC Riverside | 3/7/17 | 200 |
| Jason Martens | St. Mary's | 1/14/17 | 200 |
| Melissa McFerrin | Memphis | 1/28/17 | 200 |
| Sean Page | Newberry | 2/22/17 | 200 |
| Vic Schaefer | Mississippi State | 3/17/17 | 200 |
| Bob Amsberry | Wartburg | 11/19/16 | 300 |
| Karen Barefoot | Old Dominion | 12/9/16 | 300 |
| Tim Barrett | Castleton | 11/15/16 | 300 |
| Joanne Boyle | Virginia | 12/4/16 | 300 |
| Mary Ellen Burt | Union | 11/15/16 | 300 |
| Jose Fernandez | South Florida | 1/17/17 | 300 |
| Gabby Lisella | Rowan | 1/11/17 | 300 |
| Michael Llanas | Owens Community College | 11/22/16 | 300 |
| Katie Meier | Miami (FL) | 2/2/17 | 300 |
| Karla Nelson | Minnesota State-Moorhead | 2/17/17 | 300 |
| Jeff Soderquist | John Brown | 1/28/17 | 300 |
| Rick Stein | Southern Indiana | 1/5/17 | 300 |
| Kristy Trn | Shippensburg | 11/12/16 | 300 |
| Chancellor Dugan | Bellarmine | 12/20/16 | 400 |
| Julie Heisey | Seattle Pacific | 12/16/16 | 400 |
| Melissa Irvin | Cumberlands | 2/2/17 | 400 |
| Tina Martin | Delaware | 2/15/17 | 400 |
| Stefanie Pemper | Navy | 2/8/17 | 400 |
| Ronald Rohn | Muhlenberg | 2/1/17 | 400 |
| Marlon Wells | The Bishop's School | 12/8/16 | 400 |
| Scott Ballard | Winona State | 2/22/17 | 500 |
| Mike McDevitt | St. Joseph's College | 2/25/17 | 500 |
| Jeff Mittie | Kansas State | 12/4/16 | 500 |
| Kim Mulkey | Baylor | 2/25/17 | 500 |
| Fred Richter | Desales | 12/5/16 | 500 |
| Sandra Rushing | Central Arkansas | 2/11/17 | 500 |
| David Smalley | Rio Grande | 1/24/17 | 500 |
| Darin Spence | Newman | 12/1/16 | 500 |
| Judy Blinstrub | Babson | 2/8/17 | 600 |
| Jim Brown | Jackson County High School | 11/29/16 | 600 |
| Stephanie Findley | Oklahoma Christian | 2/16/17 | 600 |
| Mary Fleig | Millersville | 12/3/16 | 600 |
| Gordy Presnell | Boise State | 12/18/16 | 600 |
| Tara VanDerveer | Stanford | 2/3/17 | 1000 |
Visit www.wbca.org/recognize/ to see lists of past honorees.
About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers, and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit www.WBCA.org for more details about the Association.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
