NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass.-The Little East Conference office announced its 2007-08 Men's Indoor Track and Field end of the season awards this afternoon. UMass Dartmouth senior Jonathan Garcia (Stoneham, Mass.) was named the Track Athlete of the Year, while Keene State College freshman Craig MacPherson (Derry, N.H.) earned Rookie Track Athlete of the Year honors. University of Southern Maine senior Adam Haggerty (Hermon, Maine) was tabbed the Field Athlete of the Year, while Keene State College freshman Bryan Kolacz (Brentwood, N.H.) was the Rookie Field Athlete of the Year.  Scott Hutchinson of the University of Southern Maine was selected Coach of the Year by his peers.

Garcia became the first UMass Dartmouth student-athlete to capture three career individual NCAA Championships, winning the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.46 seconds at the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships on March 15. The Stoneham, Mass. product also matched the Corsairs record for six All-America selections, tying distance runner Jim White '86 and diver Tom Egan '92. Highly decorated in the 55-meter hurdles, Garcia claimed the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship, the New England Division III Championship, and New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championship, while placing second in the ECAC Open Championship. He also won the long jump event at the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championships with a leap of 6.72 meters. Garcia was named the 2008 NCAA Division III New England Men's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year, and honored twice as the Little East Conference Track Athlete of the Week.

MacPherson became the first freshman student-athlete in Keene State College men's indoor track and field history to earn an individual All-America honor, covering the mile course in a time of 4:12.15 to secure a third place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships.  The native of Derry, N.H. turned in his fastest time of the campaign at the New England All-Division Championships with a time of 4:10.44 in the mile to collect all-regional honors. MacPherson captured the 2008 Little East Conference Championship in the mile, while finishing second in the New England Alliance Championships. He was a member of the winning 4X800 relay team at the New England All-Division Championships and New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championships. MacPherson was also named the 2007 Little East Conference Male Cross Country Rookie of the Year in the fall.

Haggerty established himself as one of the top pole-vaulters in New England, earning all-regional accolades at the All-New England Championships and ECAC Open Championships. The Hermon, Maine product cleared a season-best 14-05.25 at the All-New England Championships and ECAC Open Championships to place second and eighth, respectively. Haggerty claimed his fourth consecutive title at the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championships with a vault of 4.57 meters. A winner of six of the 12 meets he entered, Haggerty was named the Little East Conference Field Athlete of the Week twice.

Kolacz made an immediate impact on the Keene State College roster, setting the program's shot put record at the New England Division III Championships with a toss of 46'-06.00." The freshman from Brentwood, N.H. broke his own previous standard of 44'-1.25 set at the Dartmouth Classic on Feb. 2, 2008. Kolacz sat atop the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championship standings in the weight throw (15.40 meters), while winning the Little East Conference Championship and placing fourth in the New England Alliance in the shot put.     

Hutchinson directed the University of Southern Maine to a program-best fifth place finish at the ECAC Division III Championships, besting the 2007 squad's eighth place result. He led his charges to second place at the 2008 New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championship as four individual student-athletes won five events, as well as, the 4X400 meter relay. Under his leadership, the third-year boss coached the Huskies to the program's first Maine State Championship, defeating second-place Bowdoin College by 26 total points. Hutchinson mentored a conference-best seven student-athletes on the 2007-08 Little East Conference Winter All-Academic Teams. He was also named the 2007 Little East Conference Male Cross Country Coach of the Year. 

Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East Conference has since grown to its present eight-school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.