Contact: Renee Adam

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Following a successful 10-year tenure with the Cleveland State women's basketball team, head coach Kate Peterson Abiad has earned a contract extension with the Vikings. Cleveland State Director of Athletics John Parry made the announcement on Wednesday, March 27, following Peterson Abiad's 10th season with the program.

"My 10 years at Cleveland State have flown by and I am excited and humbled to have the opportunity to continue to lead Cleveland State women's basketball into the future," Peterson Abiad said. "My goals continue to be to provide an experience that is both educational and enjoyable for the student-athlete, as well as putting a team on the floor that Cleveland State University can be proud of."

Peterson Abiad joined the Vikings in April of 2003 and has rebuilt the women's basketball program into one of the top teams in the Horizon League over her 10 seasons at the helm. She will be entering her 11th year with the Vikings during the 2013-14 season - just the sixth head coach in program history. During the 2011-12 campaign Peterson Abiad became the all-time winningest coach at Cleveland State, and enters 2013-14 with 131 career victories.

Under Peterson Abiad the Vikings have captured two Horizon League Championships (2008 & 2010), earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament following both seasons. Along with the two tournament titles, the Vikings have advanced to the semifinals of the league championship twice and set a program record for league wins during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. 

"Under Kate's leadership Cleveland State is the only women's basketball team in the Horizon League - besides Green Bay - to make the NCAA tournament, and we have been there twice in the past six years. She can flat out coach and we expect continued success in the future," Director of Athletics John Parry said.

Throughout her 10 seasons with the program, Peterson Abiad has mentored six All-League First & Second Team honorees, three All-Defensive Team members and three All-Newcomer Team honorees. She has also had four players earn major awards from the Horizon League during her tenure - Kailey Klein (Player of the Year: 2009, Newcomer of the Year: 2007, Preseason Player of the Year: 2009), Shawnita Garland (Defensive Player of the Year: 2011 & 2009), Dominique Butler (Defensive Player of the Year: 2008 & 2009) and Shalonda Winton (Defensive Player of the Year: 2013).