Tampa Cross Country Claims Pair of South Region Awards
NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Wednesday the winners of USTFCCCA Region Athletes and Coaches of the Year honors for the 2012 cross country season in Division II as voted by the Division's coaches.
South Region champion Kelly Hagan was named the Runner of the Year while her coach, Jarrett Slaven, was the region's Women's Coach of the Year.
Hagan, a junior from Burke, Va., ran away with the South title, winning the region by 10 seconds over freshman teammate Laura Yarrow. She also helped the Spartans to a sixth-straight Sunshine State crown with a fourth-place individual finish at the league meet. She is the third Spartan in as many years to win the award, as Heather Nicolosi won the previous two.
Under Slaven, the No. 11 Spartans captured their sixth-straight regional title to earn their 10th invitation to the NCAA National Championships. In his 14th year at Tampa, Slaven also led his team to a sixth-straight title at the Sunshine State Conference Championships. This marks the sixth consecutive season where Slaven has been honored as the top coach in the region.
The NCAA DII Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Missouri Southern on Saturday, November 17, in Joplin, Mo. NCAA.com will broadcast the meet online.