Women's Basketball

SIUE's Hedberg Announces Coaching Retirement
         EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - As she enters the 29th season of working as the head coach for the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville women's basketball team, Wendy Hedberg has announced that the 2007-2008 season will be her final on the Cougar sidelines.
         Hedberg will step down as the team's head coach at the conclusion of the upcoming season.
         "Wendy has always recruited outstanding students as well as quality athletes," said SIUE Director of Athletics Brad Hewitt. "Her work in developing the program, her success on the court, and the accomplishments of her teams in the classroom has set the standard of excellence for years to come."
         Hewitt said a national search will commence this winter to find Hedberg's successor. The new head coach will be only the fourth in the program's history. Ina Anderson served as the first head coach from 1974 to 1976. Lori Stark followed from 1976 to 1979.
         Hedberg reflected on her tenure with the women's basketball program.
         "It has been my pleasure to serve as the women's basketball coach from the days where we had only a few players and few resources to today where the program has grown to a solid framework," said Hedberg.
         Hedberg's career at SIUE began in the 1979-1980 season when the Cougars still played in the old Edwardsville High School.
         She was among the group which saw the Vadalabene Center come to fruition during the 1984-1985 season. Her record at the Vadalabene Center is 216-78. Hedberg's overall record is 436-339 in 28 seasons.
         Hedberg has posted five, 20-win seasons and has coached five All-Americans - Lori Sebastian (1990-1991), LeeAnn Bryan (1993-1994), Misi Clark (1997-1998, 1999-2000, 2000-2001), Kim Lowe (1998-1999), and Amber Shelton (2006-2007).
         Seventeen of her players have scored 1,000 or more points in their respective careers. The list of players extends through three different decades when Denise Schaake accomplished it from 1980-1982 and Julianne McMillen and Whitney Sykes charged past the mark last season.
         Since joining the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 1994, Hedberg's squads have compiled a record of 131-88. Her teams have qualified for the GLVC Tournament in 11 out of the last 12 seasons.
         Five of Hedberg's teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament (1994, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007). Clark, who went on to play professionally, led three of those teams to the postseason and went on to become the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,164 points.
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