ATLANTA – The University of California-Berkeley advanced to the semifinals of the 2017 MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour for the first time since 2000, helping Ned Webster earn Division I Coach of the Year sponsored by the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA).

Webster will receive his award at the annual IMLCA convention held in Baltimore in December, where he will be honored with coaches from all levels of collegiate lacrosse.

The Golden Bears started the season with a 12-0 mark and spent two weeks as the No. 1 team in the MCLA weekly poll. Cal finished as the runner-up in the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League, earning a sixth seed at nationals and a date in the semifinals.

"There are few greater honors for a college coach than to be recognized by his peers as the 'best,'" said IMLCA president J.B. Clarke. "We join all the coaches of the MCLA in congratulating Coach Ned Webster on being named MCLA Coach of the year!"

In his three years in Berkeley, Webster has amassed a 32-14 record with two trips to the MCLA National Championships.

"I think this is a case where you're only as good as the people around you," Webster said. "I'm extremely lucky to work with such great lacrosse educators who are also some of my closest friends. Paul Jepsen, Casey Keenan, Chris Dean and Brian Rutherford all played huge roles in our program's success this year. So did my wife, Megan, who taught yoga to the Bears each week while dealing with our two-year-old daughter and a challenging schedule.

"It's an absolute joy to coach at Cal, mainly because of the type of human being Berkeley attracts: smart, tough, hard working, cool young men."

About the IMLCA
The IMLCA was created to help build the game of lacrosse, become the premier organization providing coaches development and monitor the integrity of the game. Its membership is comprised of individual collegiate coaches. To further expose its value, the IMLCA has created relationships with the high school boy’s lacrosse coaches and the collegiate club lacrosse coaches so that they too can benefit from the initiatives of the Association. www.IMLCACoaches.com