Nancy Fahey Named Division III Coach of the Year, Kathryn Berger First-Team All-American

Bloomington, Ill., March 17, 2011 – Washington University in St. Louis head women’s basketball coach Nancy Fahey was named the 2010-11 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division III National Coach of the Year and senior Kathryn Berger was named a WBCA first-team All-America, it was announced Thursday night at the 2011 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Final Four Banquet in Bloomington, Ill.

Fahey, who has led Washington University to a 24-5 record this season and a third-straight berth into the national semifinals, is named the WBCA National Coach of the Year for just the second time in her career and the first since 2000. Berger is the sixth student-athlete in school history to earn WBCA first-team All-America honors and is the first to do so since Danielle Beehler and Kelly Manning in 2006.

“This honor is a reflection of this team and the people around our program and what they have been able to accomplish together,” Fahey said. “It is a shared honor and I am extremely humbled by it.”

Fahey, who was named the D3Hoops.com Central Region Coach of the Year earlier this week, has led the Bears back to the Final Four for a Division III record 10th time in her career and for the fourth time over the past five seasons. In 25 years on the Danforth Campus, Fahey has compiled an overall record of 595-105, winning 85 percent of her games. She has also captured a Division III record five national titles, including the 2010 national championship, won last year in Bloomington, Ill.

Washington University lost three starters and its top-three scorers from last year’s national championship team, but Fahey has the Bears back in the Final Four, vying for another national championship. The Bears have defeated four top-10 teams during this year’s NCAA Tournament run, including two previously unbeaten squads in Denison University and Thomas More College.

Berger leads Washington University in scoring at 13.8 points per game and rebounding at 6.5 per contest. She has scored in double figures 22 times this year and leads the Bears with five double-doubles. This year Berger has also been named a first-team all-University Athletic Association (UAA) and D3Hoops.com first-team all-Central Region honoree.

“I am extremely surprised and astonished by this honor, but I feel it is definitely more about my team as a whole,” Berger said. “I have a great point guard who has the third-best assist-to-turnover ration in the nation, but this is a great award and I feel really honored.”

With a career-high 31 points in a win over Emory University on Feb. 11 of this season, Berger eclipsed 1,000-career points, becoming just the 12th student-athlete in program history to do so. Entering this weekend’s Final Four she ranks eighth in school history with 1,105 points and sixth in career rebounding with 701. She is one of only three student-athletes (Alia Fischer and Jaimie McFarlin) in school history to score 1,000 points and pull down 700 rebounds in a career.

In addition to her gaudy scoring and rebounding numbers, Berger’s name is all over the Washington University record books. She is tied for third place in school history in career free-throw percentage (.799), tied for sixth in school history in career three-point shooting (.382), eighth in blocked shots (68) and ninth in made three-pointers (92).

Washington University (24-5) continues its postseason run with a matchup against No. 7 Illinois Wesleyan University in the national semifinals on Friday night at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill. Tip-Off is scheduled for 7 p.m.