NEW PALESTINE — The season may have ended two months ago, but the honors are still rolling in for the New Palestine Dragons softball team after its historic state championship three-peat this June.
The New Palestine coaching staff was honored on Wednesday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, earning one of five 2019 Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year awards.
The Dragons, which won the North Region award following the first-ever Indiana three-peat, are now eligible for the overall national award, which will be announced Aug. 23.
Head coach Ed Marcum and the rest of the New Palestine staff — Alyssa Dillard, Michelle Hokl, Audrey East and Matt Hayden — helped guide the Dragons to a 29-3 record this year. The team compiled a 90-6 record during the current three-year championship run.
“I’m so happy that the entire staff was recognized as one of the top five in the nation,” Marcum said. “They strive to be their best and do things the right way. We each add something to help our teams. This is an honor for the entire program, because without extremely talented players and their willingness to buy in, awards like this wouldn’t be possible.”
The other schools that earned regional honors were Louisville Male, which topped the Dragons this season en route to a 39-0 season and Kentucky state championship; Donovan Catholic (N.J.), which finished 30-2 and won the New Jersey Tournament of Champions; Academy at the Lakes (Fla.), which won a state championship repeat with a 19-7 season; and Artesia (N.M.), which also won a second straight state title and finished 26-4.