Coe looks to build on successful 2010-11 sports year

CEDAR RAPIDS - What can you do for an encore? Impress us.

Coe College had an athletics years for the ages in 2010-11, enjoying success virtually up and down its list of 21 NCAA sanctioned sports.

"The year went really well," said Coe Athletics Director John Chandler. "It started in the fall with football and kind of built momentum. We did better in some of the sports than we have traditionally done."

The Kohawks made NCAA Division III postseason play in baseball, football, women's basketball and softball, with the women's hoops team advancing to the Sweet 16. Keelie Finnel won the women's national indoor and outdoor track and field 800 meters.

The wrestling team placed fifth nationally and had an individual national champ in Clayton Rush. Ryan Schroeder was only the school's second runner to qualify for cross country nationals.

Even programs that didn't qualify for NCAA play were successful. The men's basketball team finished 17-9, men's tennis 22-8 and women's tennis 15-9.

"I think we have very good coaches in place and excellent support staff," said Chandler. "They put the time in to recruit, as do our volunteer coaches. They do it because they love to coach."

Chandler said he is proud that the school is successful athletically despite its academic profile growing. He said roughly 35 percent of the student body participates in athletics.

"I'm just happy that we do well," he said. "I'm happy that our student-athletes are winning. It makes it that much more of an enjoyable experience for them."