|
Skyhawks' mentor honored for 12th time by East Region coaches
EASTON, Mass. (November 11, 2015) – Stonehill College head coach Karen Boen has been named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II East Region Women's Coach of the Year for the 12th time by the region's coaches.
Boen, who is in her 18th season in charge of the women's cross country program at Stonehill, has led the women's team to both the Northeast-10 Conference and NCAA Division II East Regional Championships for the sixth time over the last seven years this fall. The Skyhawks will be appearing in the NCAA Division II Championships for the 16th straight year under her leadership. Stonehill has been ranked atop the USTFCCCA's Division II East Regional rankings every week it has been produced this season.
Stonehill punched its ticket to the NCAA Division II Championships after dominating the East Regional Championships, scoring 48 points and defeating the 2014 champion and this year's runners up, Robert Wesleyan College by 80 points. Junior co-captain Nicole Borofski (Plymouth, Massachusetts/Plymouth North) was Stonehill's top finisher for the Skyhawks, as she placed first overall in 21:12.5. Borofski was one of six Stonehill participants to earn All-Region honors for finishing in the top-25.
The Stonehill Women's Cross Country team has been on a tear this fall under Boen. The Skyhawks won the Kutztown DII/III Challenge, the Ted Owen Invitational and followed up those performances with a sensational showing at the NE-10 Championships, scoring 23 points and winning the conference championship by 93 points.
Earlier this season, Boen was also named the NE-10 Women's Coach of the Year for piloting the squad to its seventh-consecutive NE-10 Championship and 14th in program history. The Skyhawks placed five athletes on the NE-10 All-Conference teams.
Boen's success extends beyond the conference level, however. She has collected 15 East Region Coach of the Year awards for men's (3) and women's (12) cross country, and four more for indoor/outdoor track & field. Overall, her resume includes 40 NE-10/East Region Coach of the Year Awards, 24 NE-10 Championships, and 16 East Region Championships across the six teams she is in charge of. Boen, who was inducted into the Stonehill Hall of Fame last year, has overseen the development of 50 All-Americans and three fellow Hall of Fame inductees.
The Stonehill men's and women's cross country teams will both be heading to Joplin, Missouri later this month to compete in the NCAA DII National Championships. The women will be making their 16th consecutive appearance on the national stage, while the men have made it 13 straight seasons. The event will take place the weekend of November 21-23 and will be hosted by Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook.