David Lane
enters his fourth season at the helm of the Lady Indians.
Lane’s third
season at Chipola continued to see history made and records fall. The
regular season began with an eight-week run as the number two ranked team in
the country, the highest ranking ever for the Lady Indians. Early season
victories over junior college powerhouse Trinity Valley and national tourney
regular Southeastern (IL), as well as a last-second loss to eventual
national champion Monroe (NY), highlighted a very difficult non-conference.
The Lady
Indians fought their way to a second place finish in the Panhandle and
earned their fourth consecutive FCCAA/NJCAA Region VIII Tournament
appearance. The Tournament final game was another thrilling contest between
Chipola and Gulf Coast. Behind the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player
Chinata Nesbit, Chipola defeated Gulf Coast 73-69, and earned their second
consecutive trip to the NJCAA National Tournament.
Chipola
earned redemption on their second trip to Salina. Chipola shot over 55% from
the field en route to two straight victories over Arkansas-Fort Smith and
Trinity Valley. The victory over Trinity Valley propelled the Lady Indians
into the Final Four where they lost a heartbreaker to Odessa (TX) 56-52.
After another loss to Central Arizona, Chipola settled for a fourth place
finish. The Lady Indians 2005-2006 season ended with school records in
victories (31), conference victories (12), NJCAA national ranking (#2), and
consecutive victories (11).
Lane’s second
season was truly historic. Tojalynn Atmore’s three pointer as time expired
catapulted the Lady Indians to a 54-51 victory over Gulf Coast that captured
Chipola’s first-ever Region VIII championship and a trip to the NJCAA
National Tournament in Salina, KS. The Lady Indians finished with a 29-8
mark, a school record, and an NJCAA national ranking of #6.
Lane’s first season ended with a 22-9 record and a trip to the FCCAA/NJCAA
Region VIII Tournament.
Lane came to Chipola from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA,
where he served as an assistant coach in the men’s program during the 2003
season.
Prior to
Kirkwood, Lane served as an assistant to the boy’s program at Iowa City West
High from 1996-2002. Lane was also an assistant with the girl’s basketball
program from 2000-2002.
“I’m truly
honored to be part of the great tradition here at Chipola,” said Coach Lane.
“Chipola is an excellent place for top-notch athletes to come and get an
outstanding education and further their basketball careers. Chipola is also
a place where student-athletes can feel comfortable. The college and the
town have a family atmosphere that supports the program.”
Lane says
teaching his players about good decision-making is the key to success. “I
want my players to do the right thing—to know the difference between right
and wrong both on and off the court.”
Academics are
a big priority for Coach Lane, “We’re going to have a team that works just
as hard in the classroom as it does on the court to achieve success and
represents the team well within the college.”
A native of
Iowa City, IA, Lane played college baseball at Kirkwood CC and Luther
College in Decorah, IA. He graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA,
with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. He married the former Heather
Meyer in May of 2005.
