Former UW-Green Bay coach Carol Hammerle honored

Oct. 20, 2005

Green Bay, Wis. - No Limits! A Celebration of Women and Girls in Sports has announced Carol Hammerle, who served as head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay women's basketball team for 25 seasons, as its Eternal Flame Award winner. The Eternal Flame award recognizes a woman in Northeast Wisconsin who has supported or contributed significantly to girls and/or women in sports.

The first women's basketball coach in school history, Hammerle put Phoenix women's basketball on the map, compiling a 456-226 record (.688) in her quarter-century tenure at UW-Green Bay. Her teams posted 21 consecutive winning seasons, 12 20-win campaigns and won nine conference titles. Hammerle's 1992 squad earned a berth in the WNIT, while her 1994 and 1998 teams made NCAA tournament appearances, the latter in her final season guiding the Phoenix.

She went on to coach seven seasons at Northern Illinois University before announcing her retirement in March. Hammerle finished her collegiate coaching career with a 536-346 record (.608). Her 500th career win came on Feb. 2, 2002 in a 63-42 NIU victory over Akron. Hammerle completed the 2004-05 campaign ranked fifth among active NCAA coachesfor longevity in terms of seasons (32) and tenth in games coached (882). She is also 23rd in Division I history with those 536 career victories.

"We are honored to have Carol be a part of this extraordinary event," UW-Green Bay associate athletics director Amanda Braun said. "She truly exemplifies what the Flame award represents. The impact she has had on women's basketball not only in Northeast Wisconsin, but the Midwest, is immeasurable. We are excited to recognize her achievements."

No Limits! is a women's athletics scholarship fundraiser hosted by UW-Green Bay and presented by Bellin Health. The second-annual event will be held Friday, Jan. 20, 2006 at the Radisson Hotel in Green Bay, Wis., with a clinic held in conjunction with the banquet the following morning, Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Phoenix Sports Center. For tickets or more information, call the UW-Green Bay athletics ticket office at (920) 465-2625.

Two-time Olympian and Green Bay native Rebecca Giddens will be the featured speaker for the event. Giddens was the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the women's K1 (one-person kayak) event.

Information provided by UW-Green Bay Office of Sports Information