Cumberland County College Athletics are proud to announce the hiring of Tara Hartwyk as the next Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Cumberland Director of Student Life & Athletics, Keith Gorman, knows the Dukes landed the perfect person for the position. “We are extremely excited to have Tara come aboard,” Gorman said. “She has experienced success at all levels and we are certain that will continue at Cumberland.”
Hartwyk began her coaching career at Rowan College at Gloucester County (formerly Gloucester County College) in 2001 under then head coach Tom McCormack. After 5 seasons, she started her teaching career as a Health & Physical Education teacher at Washington Twp. High School while serving as the head coach of the Freshman Girls’ Basketball team. At the completion of the 2010 season, Hartwyk accpeted a teaching position at Woodbury Junior/Senior High school leading up to the creation of the middle school basketball program in 2013. It would be here that Coach Hartwyck would gain valuable experience working her way up through the middle school program, to the junior varsity level, then officially becoming the varsity head coach in 2017. Hartwyk would make an immediate impact as she led the Thundering Herd of Woodbury to the Group 1 South Jersey Championship. For her efforts during the 2017-2018 season, Hartwyk was named the South Jersey Times Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.
“I am really looking forward to working on the next level of the game,” Hartwyk said. “College has changed since my time at the level. I have a lot to learn, and hope to inspire young female athletes the way I was inspired.” The Dukes last reached the NJCAA National Tournament as recently as 2015, so when asked about the task at hand of reviving the proud women’s program at Cumberland, Hartwyk shared her thoughts. “You can expect to see a group of hard working young ladies, a team ready to face a new chapter in Dukes Women’s Basketball. Expect to see a program looking to make waves in Region 19.”
Cumberland Women’s Basketball will be making a strong return for the 2019-2020 season.
http://dukesathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2018-19/releases/20190402i3rvjo
