Women's college basketball: UW-Eau Claire's Englund named WIAC Coach of the Year

Spencer Flaten, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Mar. 10—Navigating this season was a challenge unlike any other faced by WIAC women's basketball teams.

And for helping guide UW-Eau Claire through it, Tonja Englund took home the conference's top coaching award.

Englund, the Blugolds' head coach, was named the WIAC Coach of the Year on Wednesday when the league unveiled its end-of-season honors.

Englund coached Eau Claire to an 8-2 record this season. The Blugolds won the WIAC West Division and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament.

"From the outside looking in, I don't know if people really can understand what we've gone through to make this happen," Englund said after the Blugolds' final game. "Testing three times a week, really almost isolating yourself so that you can stay able to play. The college students not really having a college experience, because you need to isolate yourself so much so you can stay healthy. That's tough. It's tough physically, it's tough mentally, and what you do is you lean more on the people you see every day. Just coming into the gym, I know it's changed me as a coach. I was just happy to see my players every day."

This is the second time Englund has earned the honor. She was also named the conference's top coach in 2003. In 21 seasons at the helm in Eau Claire, she has a 354-204 record.

UW-Stout freshman Anna Mutch was the co-Newcomer of the Year along with UW-Oshkosh's Kennedy Osterman.

Mutch contributed in multiple phases for Stout. The 5-foot-8 guard from Apple Valley, Minn., was the top-scoring freshman in the WIAC, averaging 10.6 points per game. She ranked third in the league with 7.1 rebounds per contest.

She scored in double figures in six of the Blue Devils' nine games.

The Blugolds had three representatives on this season's All-WIAC team. Guards Maizie Deihl and Jessie Ruden and forward Katie Essen were all-conference selections.

Ruden, a sophomore, led Eau Claire in scoring with 15.2 points per game. Essen, a senior, was close behind with 15.1 in addition to securing 6.3 rebounds per contest. She was also an All-Defensive team honoree. Deihl, also a senior, averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Junior UW-EC forward Ellie Clayton was an honorable mention All-WIAC pick, along with UW-Stout freshman guard Tess Johnson and Mutch. Clayton and Johnson both averaged 9.9 points per game for the Blugolds and Blue Devils, respectively.

Eau Claire's Katelyn Morgan and Stout's Liz Oswald were both named to the All-Sportsmanship team.

UW-Oshkosh senior guard Leah Porath was the WIAC Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring with 18.7 points per game.