Sue Koziol
Sue Koziol '80 1995 Basketball, Softball
A native of Cleveland, Sue Koziol is one of the city's finest all-around athletes ever. She earned a letter in basketball at the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to Cleveland State.
Koziol's first season in a Cleveland State uniform was phenomenal. She captured the Most Outstanding Player award in both basketball and softball and was named CSU's Female Athlete-of-the-Year. As a member of the basketball team she set CSU-records with 191 assists and a FG% of .517. She also led the Vikings in steals and was second on the squad in rebounds from her guard position.
In softball, Koziol helped CSU win the OAISW Regional Tournament to earn a spot in the national championship tournament. In 21 games she set CSU slow-pitch records in BA (.560), hits (42), HR (12), and RBI (31). In addition to Most Outstanding, Koziol's play earned her First Team All-American honors.
In 1982-83, Koziol was a member of CSU's women's basketball team that won a school-record 23 games. Koziol broke her own CSU-record with 233 assists and twice had 15 in a game to set the CSU single-game record. She also led the Vikes in FG% and was second with 14.2 ppg and in steals.
In 1983, Koziol was again the softball team's Most Outstanding Player, leading the team in every offensive category, including: BA (.454), HR (7), RBI (21) and a CSU-record 25 runs scored. Koziol was also a member of the 1983 women's track team. In her lone season of competition she set the CSU-record in the javelin with a throw of 118'9".
In her final season on the basketball team, 1983-84, CSU went 19-8 and Koziol shared the Most Outstanding Player award with Diane Foster. She was also First Team All-Ohio. She led the Vikes in assists (214) and FG% (.488) and was second in scoring and steals. She also tied her single-game assist record twice.
In her three-year basketball career, Sue Koziol set four records that still stand - assists in a career (638), season (233) and game (15) as well as career FG% (.503). She is in the CSU top ten with 264 steals, 1,104 points and 498 rebounds. A sign of her all-around ability is, she is the only CSU woman in the career top ten in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
Although her basketball playing days ended in 1983-84, Koziol continued her association with the team by serving as an assistant coach during the 1984-85 campaign.
In 1984, the softball team went 12-3 and won the Ohio Collegiate Slow-Pitch Softball Championships as Koziol picked up her third Most Outstanding Player award and led the team in every offensive category, including a record .585 batting record.
The 1985 softball season was CSU's first full season in fast-pitch competition and Koziol hit four home runs, still the season and career fast-pitch records. Her 28 RBI remain the season-record and place her in the career top ten. She also led the team in batting average, hits, doubles and triples. Following the season she was named the team's Most Outstanding Player for a record fourth time.
Sue Koziol graduated from Cleveland State in 1986 with a B.S. in Physical Education. Following her graduation she moved to Michigan where she taught physical education and played and coached softball for a year and a half. She then returned to Cleveland and was hired by the Cleveland Board of Education. She has been teaching and coaching girls basketball at her alma mater, Lincoln-West High School since her return home.
Koziol spends her summers playing for the Lady Blue, a Women's Major-Slow-Pitch traveling team. Lady Blue has won the National U.S.S.S.A World Series Championship four of the past seven years. Her achievements in softball have been rewarded with Koziol's selection as the first female advisory staff member for Louisville Slugger, with whom she also has a personal services contract.
