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Keene State Outdoor Tracksters Claim Five LEC Honors
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass.7/18/08 - The Little East Conference recently announced its awards for the 2008 outdoor track and field season. Keene State College claimed five major awards.
In women's honors, Owl senior Jennifer Adams (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was selected as the Track Athlete of the Year, and classmate Crystal Blamy (Walpole, N.H.) was tabbed Field Athlete of the Year. Keene State freshman Bryanna Brown (Nashua, N.H.) was honored as Rookie Field Athlete of the Year. On the men's side, Keene State College sophomore Frank Radlof (Milford, N.H.) was tabbed Field Athlete of the Year, while freshman teammate Bryan Kolacz (Brentwood, N.H.) was named Rookie Field Athlete of the Year.
Adams, one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history
of the Little East Conference, completed her brilliant career at
the 2008 NCAA Division III Women's Track and Field Championships
this past spring. The Saratoga Springs, N.Y. native did not
disappoint on the national stage, earning All-American honors in
the 5, 000 and 10,000-meter run, respectively. She was the national
runner up in the 10,000-meter run, crossing the finish line in a
time 35 minutes and 45.41 seconds, while placing third in the
5,000-meter run (16:54.79). Adams ran the fastest time in the
nation in the 5k (16:39.47 seconds), while boasting the second
fastest time in the country in the 10k (35:33.03 seconds). She
departs Keene with two national championships and 10 All-American
honors.
Blamy captured her second career national championship title at the
2008 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Division III
Championships, winning the high jump event with a leap of 5'-7".
The Walpole, N.H. product also won the high jump event at the 2008
NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships
this past winter, becoming just the third Owl student-athlete to
capture both the indoor and outdoor titles in the same academic
year. Blamy dominated the high jump event this season, winning the
ECAC Division III Championships, New England Division III
Championships, and New England Alliance/Little East Conference
Championships, while placing fourth at the New England Open
Championships. Her leap of 5'-09.25" at the ECAC Division III
Championships was the longest jump in the nation and earned Blamy
the top seed in the national tournament. She was also selected the
Little East Conference Field Athlete of the Week five of the eight
times the award was offered.
In her first season in an Owl uniform, Brown became the
program's record-holder in the shot put, setting the new standard
at the New England Division III Championships. The Nashua, N.H.
product's season-best throw of 38'-11.75" was the top toss of any
freshman and fourth overall in the regional field. She also earned
all-conference and all-alliance honors in the shot put at the New
England Alliance/Little East Conference Championships with a
winning throw of 37'-09.50, defeating her closest competitor by
1.75". Earlier this season, Brown captured the shot put title at
the Springfield Invitational and was named the Little East
Conference Rookie Field Athlete of the Week three times on the
campaign.
Radlof was also one of five male athletes to represent the Little
East Conference at the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and
Field Championships, competing in the long jump event. The Milford,
N.H. product was seeded 10th in the national field after his
season-best leap of 7.12 meters at the New England Open
Championships. He dominated the 2008 New England Alliance/Little
East Conference Championships, winning four individual titles as
well as four All-Alliance and four All-Conference honors in the
five events he entered. Radlof sat atop the podium in the long jump
(6.74 meters) and triple jump (13.33 meters) events, while placing
second in the 110-meter hurdles (16.49). Radlof collected
all-conference recognition with a second-place performance in the
javelin throw (52.48 meters), while placing sixth in the high jump
in the New England Alliance field.
Kolacz made his debut on the national scene in his rookie season, qualifying for the hammer throw event at the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Brentwood, N.H. product qualified for the national meet with an Owl program record and season-high toss of 178'-06" at the New England Open Championships, marking the 12th best throw in the nation. Kolacz posted a fourth place finish in the hammer throw at the New England Division III Championships and New England Open Championships. He dominated the field events at the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championships, winning the hammer (161'-02") and discus (146'-03"), while placing second in the shot put (45'-05.75"). Kolacz was also named the Little East Conference Indoor Field Athlete of the Year this past winter.
