Kolacz, Chamberlain and Fitter Win Major LEC Awards

NORTH DARTMOUTH, MASS. 4/16/10 – The Little East Conference office announced its annual men’s indoor track and field major award winners for the 2010 season this afternoon after a vote by the conference’s coaches.

Keene State College earned three major awards with junior Bryan Kolacz (Brentwood, N.H.) repeating as the men’s field athlete of the year. Junior Allison Chamberlain (Scarborough, Me.) and freshman Maggie Fitter (Branford, Conn) were selected women’s track athlete and rookie track athletes of the year respectively.

Kolacz made his second straight appearance in the national championships this past winter. The Brentwood, N.H. earned his first indoor track and field All-America citation after hurling the 35-pound weight 18.44 meters to place sixth overall. Kolacz tuned up for the NCAA Championships by placing fifth at the ECAC Championships, and third at the New England Open Championships. He stood atop the awards podium in the weight throw event at the New England Alliance/Little East Championships with a throw of 17.74 meters, outdistancing the field by 1.41 meters.  Kolacz also placed third in the shot put (14.15). He was selected as the field athlete of the week five times on the season.

“It’s nice to be recognized for some of the things you do,” said Kolacz.  "It gives you a little more inspiration to keep striving for more.”

Chamberlain earned the Owls’ 100th All-America track and field honor this past winter at the 2010 NCAA Division III Championships, placing second in the 800-meter run with a time of two minutes, 9.38 seconds. The Scarborough, Maine product lived up to the top seed in the national field in her preliminary heat, setting the nation’s fastest time and Hollensteiner facility record (2:10.81). She also qualified to compete in the mile event, but chose to concentrate on just a single event in her debut at the national meet. Chamberlain captured the 800-meter individual title at New England Open Championships, while also crossing the finish line first in the mile (4:55.90) at the New England Division III Championships.  At the annual New England Alliance/Little East Championships, she earned a pair of victories in the 400-meter dash and 3,000-meter run. Chamberlain was a mainstay on the weekly awards program, earning seven track athlete of the week certificates.

Fitter, a mid-range distance runner, posted her personal best in the 800-meter run in the preliminary heat at the 2010 New England Open Championships. The freshman from Bradford, Conn. covered the course in a time of two minutes, 16.28 seconds to advance to the finals where she placed 10th overall (2:23.23). Fitter represented Keene State on the All-New England Alliance/Little East Championship teams in a pair of races. She posted the second fastest time in the 800-meter (2:22.83) and mile (5:14.38) events to help the Owls finish second in the conference standings and fourth in the alliance. Fitter also finished in the top-five at the New England Division III Championships in the 800.