The 2002-03 winter sports season was another outstanding one for the Wittenberg Tigers. No team finished lower than fifth in the North Coast Athletic Conference, and the women’s basketball team captured a conference championship. That team capped its season with a strong run through the NCAC tournament to advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament, where the Tigers fell in the first round at nationally ranked Baldwin-Wallace on March 5.

Individually, three student-athletes were singled out for their special achievements. Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Head Coach Leslie Ramsey was named NCAC Women’s Coach of the Year after guiding her young team to a fourth-place finish in the NCAC meet Feb. 13-15.

The Tiger women posted a school record 924 team points and were beaten out by three of the top five teams in the United States (Kenyon finished first in the NCAA championships, Denison was fourth and Wooster wound up fifth). It was Ramsey’s first conference honor in just her second season at the helm.

Women’s Basketball Head Coach Pam Smith grabbed Coach of the Year honors in her sport for the fifth time in her career after leading her team to a perfect 16-0 NCAC record, a conference tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Smith now has a career record of 325-134 and has coached her alma mater’s women’s basketball program to seven NCAA appearances, nine NCAC regular season titles and five conference tournament championships.

Rounding things out, Demetrius Ellison ’04 was named NCAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Sprinter/Hurdler of the Year for his tremendous performance in the conference meet March 7-8 at Denison. In leading the Tigers to a second-place finish in the meet for a second consecutive year, Ellison finished first in the 200- and 400-meter races, placed second in the 55-meter race and anchored the Tigers’ winning 800-meter relay. By himself, Ellison scored 28 points, not including the 10 points earned by the relay quartet.