Editor’s Note: This is Sports Editor David Marran’s column that was published March 8, 2009 after it was announced that Quincy’s J.D. Gravina, and not Parkside’s Jenny Kenesie, was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Coach of the Year.

It’s been quite a season for UW-Parkside women’s basketball coach Jenny Kenesie.

Fielding one of the youngest teams in the country, Kenesie’s Rangers were picked to finish fifth in the Eastern Division of the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the preseason coaches poll.

The prediction even looked to be a little generous when Parkside was soundly beaten by Marquette in an exhibition and started the season 0-4.

The team then made a nice recovery, winning a school-record 10 consecutive games.

In the middle of this streak was an impressive five-day stint at year’s end where Kenesie did her best imitation of Pat Summit and a high-powered travel agent.

Not only did the Rangers win two games in San Diego, they did it without two starters who were left home for disciplinary reasons.

After the tournament, Parkside’s travel plans blew up because of inclement weather in the Midwest. Three days and two cancelled flights later, Kenesie was able to scrape together an itinerary that got her team to St. Louis in time for its Great Lakes Valley Conference game against Missouri-St. Louis.

Oh, and despite no practice time, the Rangers won that game by 18 points.

The winning streak ended two games later but as the season wore on Kenesie was able to keep her maturing team in contention in the powerhouse GLVC East.

Along the way, there was a huge home victory over defending national champion Northern Kentucky, a pair of overtime wins on the road and a one-point loss to a Division-1 school.

During this run, which included extended bus trips to such exotic Division-2 ports as Romeoville, Ill., Rensselaer, Ind., and Owensboro, Ky., and countless practices, Kenesie was in the late stages of a pregnancy.

After the Rangers defeated Bellarmine on Valentine’s Day, it was decided that the blessed event was too close and that Kenesie shouldn’t travel with the team.

Five days after a loss at Northern Kentucky, Kenesie gave birth to her second child. One missed practice later, she was back on the job. A day after that, Kenesie returned to the sideline for the Rangers’ game against Lewis. She has been there ever since.

While UW-P has lost two in a row, the 18-10 Rangers still have an outside shot to hear their name called when the NCAA reveals its Division-2 tournament field tonight.

Thursday, Quincy’s J.D. Gravina was named the GLVC’s Coach of the Year.

What?

While I am certain Gravina is a fine coach, I would venture to say that he did not have to deal with half of what Kenesie did this year.

Based on what she went through and the dedication Kenesie showed to her school, her craft and her league, the GLVC should name this award after her.

Contact David Marran at dmarran@kenoshanews.com.