Boen records 53rd Coach of the Year award
EASTON, Mass. (November 9, 2017) – Karen Boen, head coach for the Stonehill College men's and women's cross country programs was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) East Region Men's Coach of the Year, as announced by the organization on Wednesday.
Boen, who is in her 20th season in charge of the women's cross country program and 18th season in charge of the men's program, has totaled 53 Coach of the Year awards among six three season and six teams. She most recently led the No. 16 men's program to its fourth NCAA Division II East Regional title in program history, totaling the squad's sixth first-place mark this season. This is the first time in program history that either team has made a run with all first-place marks through the season.
The 2017 season kicked off with a title at the Shacklette Invitational, where senior Sam Bradford (Bedford, Massachusetts/Bedford) earned his first individual title. At the Division II/III Challenge, hosted by Kutztown University, junior Riley Dowd (Peabody, Massachusetts/Peabody Veterans Memorial) finished first for his own individual crown, while the team won the Codish Bowl with 32 points, 26 points less than runner-up Merrimack College.
The first weekend of October saw the Skyhawks race to its first New England Championship title in program history, as the season continued with Stonehill's ninth Northeast-10 Conference Championship in program history and first since 2013. A weekend ago, Boen coached the team to its first NCAA Division II East Regional title since 2013 and only fourth in program history. The Skyhawks won by 39 points, defeating defending champion American International College.
Last week, Boen was named the NE10 men's and women's Coach of the Year after seeing both programs win the conference championship. This was the fourth year that she tallied both the men's and women's Coach of the Year Awards in cross country, the other years included: 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2004. Boen's success extends beyond conference level as she has collected East Region Coach of the Year awards for all six teams. Overall, her resume includes 53 NE10/USTFCCCA East Region Coach of the Year Awards, 29 NE10 Championships, and 18 East Region Championships across six teams. Boen, who was inducted into the Stonehill Hall of Fame in 2014, has overseen the development of 50 All-Americans and three Hall of Fame inductees.
The Stonehill men's team punched their 15th-straight ticket, while the women are heading to their 17th-straight appearance at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship in Evansville, Indiana, hosted by the University of Southern Indiana on Saturday, November 18 at Angel Mounds. The women's race will begin at 11:15 a.m., followed by the men's race at 12:30 p.m.
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