Newark Coach Kirnie notches 300th victory

After the Lady Reds' superb season last year and receiving numerous awards herself, Coach Diane Kirnie was quick to deflect the praise to her team. So its not surprising that after reaching another milestone January 11, hitting the 300th win of her 21-year career of coaching varsity girls basketball, she gave most of the credit to her team.

'I have talented players,' Kirnie said Monday, after the news of the 300th win was announced during the morning televised announcements at the high school.

In the landmark game Jan. 11, the Lady Reds handily defeated the Wayne Central Eagles 77-26.

'We've been pretty successful during the last seven years - last year really helped when we won 25 games,' Kirnie said. 'There is a nice sense of accomplishment from a personal level, but I'm very proud of my team.'

While agreeing the Lady Reds are exceptionally talented players, Principal Kevin Whitaker and Dir. of Athletics Greg Herbst, say much of the reason for the team's stellar success is due to Kirnie's coaching.

'After all of the hard work Coach Kirnie has put into helping our students become such great athletes and people, it's nice that we get a chance to take some time to recognize her for the consistency of excellence she has shown,' Whitaker said.

Herbst said, 'It's such a unique milestone to hit the 300th win, because it demonstrates excellence over such a long period of time. Diane has had a lot of student athletes come and go over the years, and her consistent approach has proven to work over such a long period of time.'

Kirnie is a physical education teacher at the Kelley School in Newark. She grew up in Greece and played basketball as a youngster, nothing organized, in friends' driveways, also played basketball, as well as soccer and softball at Greece Athena. She excelled in basketball and softball and later played basketball a couple of years at SUNY Cortland.

Last year, the Lady Reds undefeated season ended with a heartbreaking conclusion on March 16 in Troy. There, the Reds lost by two points to Franklin Academy of Malone, 56-54, in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class A semifinals at Hudson Valley Community College.

It was the first time the Lady Reds were undefeated in their regular season. It was the first season the Lady Reds ended up in the NYSPHSAA semifinals. After the semifinals, the team was selected by the NYSPHSAA for its 2007 Good Sportsmanship Award.

Alyssa Fenyn and Shakista Woolfolk, then NHS sophomores, were selected to be members of the All Greater Rochester First team made up of the top 15 Section 5 players. This was the first time two Lady Reds players have made this team in the same year. Fenyn was also named First Team All-State player for Class A. This, too, was a first for a Lady Reds player. Only five players in the entire state receive this distinction. Woolfolk made Seventh Team All-State, the first time for her to be named an All-State player.

Kirnie was named the Finger Lakes League Coach of the Year for 2007; the Section 5 Class A Girls Basketball Coach of the Year for 2007; and she was named co-coach of the Year of the All-Greater Rochester Team with Rush-Henrietta Girls Basketball Coach Steve Shepanski.

The Lady Reds are also doing great academically and are a New York State Scholar Athlete team. The recognition is given to athletic teams that collectively reach averages of 90 or better.

Jeff Di Veronica, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle sportswriter, said Kirnie is only the second woman in Section 5 history to reach 300 wins. And of the men and women Section 5 girls basketball coaches, she currently ranks 11th overall for the number of wins.

top of page

Copyright © 2008
Courier-Gazette, 613 S. Main St. Newark, N.Y. 14513 - 315-331-1000
All Rights Reserved