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| After playing for the Bowdoin Polar Bears for four seasons, Sara Binkhorst coached with Division I's Brown Bears for four seasons. Brown University athletics photo |
Wheaton (Mass.) brought former Bowdoin All-American Sara Binkhorst back to Division III where she will be the Lyons' new head women's basketball coach. She replaces Melissa Hodgdon who resigned as the program's all-time leader in coaching victories in April.
Wheaton Director of Athletics and Recreation John Sutyak announced the hiring via release on Friday.
"Wheaton is extremely fortunate to have Sara Binkhorst join our team," said Sutyak in the release. "Her experiences as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in the Ivy League, as well as a high achieving student-athlete at the Division III level, make her an ideal fit for Wheaton women's basketball."
Binkhorst played four seasons at Bowdoin where she scored 1,075 points and was a two-time all-conference selection. Binkhorst was named honorable mention All-American in her senior season when the Polar Bears went 25-5 and reached the NCAA Division III Tournament round of 16.
After graduating from Bowdoin, Binhorst spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Division I Brown University. Last season the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) honored Binkhorst as one of their 30 coaches under the age of 30.
Binkhorst replaces Melissa Hodgdon who stepped down in April after 16 seasons as the Lyons' head coach. Hodgdon went 214-209 at Wheaton with her best season coming in 2007-08. That season the Lyons went 22-7, 12-1 in the NEWMAC, won the conference tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament. The Lyons struggled the last three seasons and went 9-37 in conference over that period.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to coach these women and all that came before them," said Hodgdon in a press release at the time of her resignation. "I have seen them grow as students, athletes, and people. They are amazing people who have made an impact on my life as well as the lives of many others in our community and beyond.
Hodgdon has since been named the top assistant coach to Morgan Valley at Division I Hartford.
Binkhorst inherits a very young roster that had just one senior last season. Forward Mikayla Pucci was named second-team All-Conference as a sophomore for the Lyons last season.