NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The Little East Conference recently announced its awards for the 2008 women’s outdoor track and field season. Keene State College claimed three of the five majors awards, while Eastern Connecticut State University and the University of Southern Maine each earned an honor. Owl senior Jennifer Adams (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was selected as the Track Athlete of the Year, while classmate Crystal Blamy (Walpole, N.H.) was tabbed Field Athlete of the Year. Warrior freshman Karina Johnson (East Hartford, Conn.) earned Rookie Track Athlete of the Year, while Keene State College freshman Bryanna Brown (Nashua, N.H.) was honored as Rookie Field Athlete of the Year. George Towle of the University of Southern Maine was named the Coach 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.

Johnson set the Eastern Connecticut State University record in the 800-meter run in her rookie campaign, crossing the finish line in a time of two minutes and 18.83 seconds at the Springfield Invitational on April 19. The native of East Hartford, Conn. also helped the 4X400-meter rely team establish a new program standard (4:08.74) at the Coast Guard Invitational. Johnson qualified for the New England Open Championships and ECAC Division III Championships in the 800-meter run. She won the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championship in the 800-meter run, while earning all-conference and all-alliance honors in the 1,500-meter run. Johnson was named the Little East Conference Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year in the fall.

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.

Towle led his Huskies to their ninth consecutive New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championship, defeating conference rivals Eastern Connecticut State University and Keene State College. The University of Southern Maine outscored the Warriors by 51 total points and the Owls by 65. Towle led his charges to four individual championships, paced by sophomore Emily Artesani’s (Orono, Maine) two victories and senior Hattie Landry’s (Acton, Maine) four top-three finishes. The Huskies also performed well at the New England Division III Championships, posting a 12th place result in the 28-team standings. Towle was also named the 2008 Little East Conference Indoor Track and Field 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.