Townsend Saunders of Phoenix, Ariz., has been named 2003 Women's Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the first time that Saunders has received this award.    Saunders served as head coach of the 2003 U.S. Women's World Team, which competed in New York City, N.Y. The team placed strong second in the standings, with seven medalists and individual champion Kristie Marano. The U.S. did not lose a match during the first two days of competition.    Saunders has been selected as one of the U.S. Olympic Coaches in women's wrestling, and will help lead the U.S. effort at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece this summer.    Saunders serves as a club coach for the Sunkist Kids, the nation's most successful wrestling club, since his competitive career ended in 1997. He is also the club's Executive Director. He has also been the assistant wrestling coach at Arizona State Univ., a Div. I wrestling power.    He is married to Tricia Saunders, a four-time Women's World Champion and one of America's most successful female wrestlers. Townsend helped coach Tricia throughout her career. He has attended seven previous Women's World Championships, assisting the U.S. coaching staff at each of these events.    Saunders won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at 149.5 pounds at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. He was also a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, placing seventh at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.    Saunders competed in the four World Championships events. He was fourth in the 1993 World Championships and eighth in the 1995 World Championships. He also competed in the 1991 and 1994 World Championships. Among his other major honors were gold medals at the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games and a gold medal at the 1994 Goodwill Games. He also won two U.S. Nationals freestyle titles.    He began his college career at Cal-State Bakersfield, where he was a 1987 Div. II national champion. He transfered to Arizona State Univ., placing second in the 1989 NCAA Div. I Championships and third in the 1990 NCAA Div. I Championships.  He was a 1985 high school state runner-up for Torrance High School in California.    USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners each day this week on TheMat.com.    PAST WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS  2003 - Townsend Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids  2002 - Joe Corso, Des Moines, Iowa, Sunkist Kids