St. Mary's Tom Gonsalves Names 2016 United States Marine Corps/WBCA High School National Coach of the Year

ATLANTA (March 10, 2016) – Tom Gonsalves, head coach at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, California, is the recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy presented to the 2016 United States Marine Corps/WBCA High School National Coach of the Year, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced today. This marks the 34th year since 1983 that the WBCA has presented this honor to a high school head coach.

"The WBCA is proud to name Tom as the 2016 United States Marine Corps/WBCA High School National Coach of the Year," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "Tom was selected as the winner by his peers after leading his team to an exceptional season. The WBCA recognizes and applauds his leadership example that can be seen in his student-athletes, school, and community.”

"The Marine Corps continues to enjoy our long and successful partnership with the WBCA.  For us, one of the major highlights of the relationship is to annually recognize the organization's outstanding coaches," said Lieutenant Colonel Brian Proctor, Assistant Chief of Staff Diversity, Marine Corps Recruiting Command.  "Each of these fine individuals, chosen by their peers to receive this well-deserved honor, exemplifies the Marine Corps leadership values of honor, courage and commitment."

Gonsalves has accumulated an incredible record, going 460-35 in 14 seasons as head coach of St. Mary’s High School while guiding the Rams to seven of their eight CIF state titles, the most for any coach in California.

This season Gonsalves has helped propel the Rams to a 27-0 record on the season and are on a 55-game winning streak dating back to December 2014, which moves them to tie for eighth in the Cal-Hi Sports record book for longest in state history. St. Mary’s advanced to the championship game of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Girls Basketball Championship where they defeated St. Francis, 94-58, to capture their ninth straight Division I section title. The Rams can tie the state record for most state titles, if they win their ninth this year.

Gonsalves was recently named the recipient of the 2016 Naismith Girl’s High School Coach of the Year.

The United States Marine Corps and the WBCA present the Pat Summitt Trophy, named for the legendary University of Tennessee coach, to the United States Marine Corps/WBCA National Coach of the Year annually in each of the six WBCA membership divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III; NAIA; junior/community college and high school).

The national coach of the year is selected from a list of finalists, who are chosen by vote of their peers in their respective WBCA membership regions, and were announced earlier this week via social media.  They are:

     • Tom Gonsalves, St. Mary’s High School, Stockton, California
     • Steve Ingram, Olathe South High School, Olathe, Kansas
     • Aisha Kennedy, St. Francis High School, Alpharetta, Georgia
     • Ashley Nance, Conway High School, Conway, Arkansas
     • Fred Priester, Oakton High School, Fairfax, Virginia
     • Sheila Seymore-Pennick, Ribault High School, Jacksonville, Florida
     • Stacey Stroman, Dekaney High School, Houston, Texas
     • Josh Ulitzky, Grandview High School, Aurora, Colorado
     • William Wolf, Cumberland Valley High School, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

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About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as a sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.