June 9, 2005

CLEVELAND - Cleveland State head softball coach Julie Jones will serve as the keynote speaker for the upcoming Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association 2005 All-State Banquet. The event will take place on June 26 at Villa Milano in Columbus.

Jones, who recently finished her ninth season at the helm of the Vikings, is the winningest coach in school history, tallying 206 victories. She has directed CSU to a berth in the league championship game on three occasions, including in 1997 when the Vikings claimed the title en route to the school's only NCAA Tournament appearance.

The 1997 Horizon League Coach of the Year, Jones has mentored 34 all-league selections and three players who went on to compete in the professional ranks. An all-region selection at Baldwin-Wallace College, she was inducted into the B-W Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. She was also a standout at Garfield High School in Akron where her number was retired.

The Vikings advanced to the 2005 Horizon League championship game after finishing 24-26 overall and 10-5 in the league.