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Sue Enquist - Biography
Retired 2007
The 2006 season marks Sue
Enquist's 18th campaign as head coach of the Bruin softball program. It is
her 27th year as part of UCLA's softball coaching staff and her 30th year
of involvement with the program as either a coach or player. This is
Enquist's 10th season as the sole head coach for the Bruins. Enquist took
over that role beginning with the 1997 season, following the retirement of
longtime Bruin mentor Sharron Backus. The two served as co-head coaches
from 1989-96.
Before being named co-head coach,
Enquist coached nine seasons (1980-88) as an assistant under Backus. As a
student-athlete playing for Backus, Enquist led UCLA to its first National
Championship in softball, a 1978 AIAW title. Enquist was the tournament's
leading hitter as UCLA won its first softball National Championship. Since
that time, Enquist has been a member of the UCLA coaching staff for all of
its 10 NCAA Championships, the most of any school. The NCAA brought
women's sports under its umbrella beginning with the 1981-82 academic
year. UCLA won that inaugural NCAA softball championship, and has since
played in a record 17 championship games or series, winning titles in
1982, '84, '85, '88, '89, '90, '92, '99, 2003 and '04.
After graduating high school in
December of 1974, Enquist went on to play four seasons for Backus from
1975-78, Enquist became the prototypical player for Bruin softball in
terms of attitude, desire and will to win. UCLA's first softball
All-American, Enquist led the Bruins in doubles three times and twice led
UCLA in batting average and triples.
Enquist established the UCLA
career batting average record with an impressive .401 mark, and was the
first Bruin to complete her career with a batting average over .400. That
career batting average record stood for 24 years, until Stacey Nuveman
completed her illustrious career in 2002. Enquist's No. 6 jersey was
retired on April 29, 2000, becoming the third number in Bruin softball
history to be retired, joining the No. 16 of Lisa Fernandez and No. 1 of
Dot Richardson.
A three-time ASA All-American for
the Raybestos Braketts, Enquist helped lead that team to four ASA National
Championships in 1976, '77, '78 and '80. She also enjoyed success as a
player at the international level, earning gold medals at three National
Sports Festivals, the 1978 World Championships and the 1979 Pan American
Games.
Enquist earned her bachelor's
degree in kinesiology from UCLA in 1980. A native of San Clemente, Calif.,
Enquist surfed professionally from 1979-81 and continues to be an avid
surfer. She currently resides in Huntington Beach, Calif.
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