Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2002
Written by: Julie Fox

KRIS TALON EARNS 300TH VICTORY AS SOFTBALL COACH

MEDFORD -- The Tufts University softball team edged Eastern Connecticut State University 2-1 in eight innings on April 14 to complete a sweep of the Warriors and give Head Coach Kris Talon her 300th career victory.  Talon, a 1986 graduate of Tufts, is in her 15th season as head coach of the team and has been involved with the team since its first season in 1985.  She currently has a 302-149-3 overall record for a .669 winning percentage.

In the second game of their doubleheader against Eastern Connecticut the Jumbos broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Senior co-captain Emily Ferazza (Westminster, MA), who started on second base for the Jumbos due to the international tie-breaker rule, scored on a one-out, RBI groundout by senior 1B Tiffany Trahan (Chelmsford, MA).  Freshman Caroline Grieco (Manasquan, NJ) pitched 7.1 solid innings, and senior co-captain Jodie Moreau (Clarksburg, MA) came in to get the final two outs and earn the victory in relief.

Talon played first base and pitched for the first two softball teams in Tufts history during the 1985 and 1986 seasons.  She hit .370 in two seasons and was the captain in 1986.  After graduating she became the assistant coach of the team, then was promoted to head coach in 1988.  Since then the team has been to five straight NCAA tournaments, a run that started in 1997.  In 2000 Talon guided the team to their first-ever NCAA College World Series appearance, for which only the top eight teams in the country qualify.  The Jumbos won the inaugural New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament in 2001, and also won the ECAC North Championship in 1995.

Talon's 100th career victory came on April 29, 1994 with a 7-0 win over Colby College.  The 200th victory was on April 8, 1998 with a 6-1 win over Plymouth State College.  Entering the season with a .666 winning percentage, Talon ranked 20th all-time among Division III softball coaches.  She also entered the season ranked 24th in total victories among active coaches with 284.

Talon is active in the softball community outside of Tufts.  In 1999 and 2001 she coached the Croatian National team at the European Championships held in Belgium and Austria, respectively.  In 2000 she coached a team on a goodwill trip to play softball in Cuba.  She is also a member of the National Top 25 Selection Comm ittee and Chair of the ECAC All-Star Committee.

Talon and her staff have been honored with numerous awards as well.  In 1995, Talon was named the Northeast Region Coach of the Year when Tufts finished with a record 31 victories.  In 2001, Talon was named NESCAC Coach of the Year, and also was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association New England Region Coaching Staff of the Year, along with assistants Cheryl Milligan and Cora Thompson.

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