Guilford's Haggerty Named Little East Field Athlete of the Year

The following is a press release from Keene State:

Keene State College senior Janel Haggerty (Guilford, Conn.) was named the 2013 Little East Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year to become the first student-athlete to repeat as a major award winner since the conference began sponsoring the program in 2008. The Owls secured their second major award, when Peter Thomas was voted as the Coach of the Year.



Haggerty became the first Keene State student-athlete to win the Division III title in the pentathlon and 21st overall NCAA champion in school history in 2013. The senior from Guilford, Conn. registered personal best performances in the final two events to set the Owl program record with 3,467 points to stand atop the national awards podium. Haggerty earned her second All-America citation after being a member of the distance medley relay team as a sophomore. She was the first Keene State athlete to qualify for the five-part event and seeded second in the national field. Haggerty warmed up for her second appearance at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships by winning the 55-meter hurdles (8.46) and the high jump (1.63m) at the New England Alliance and Little East Championships. She is the just the second Owl to capture the top field athlete award, joining fellow national champion Crystal Blamy (2008).



Thomas made his debut on the annual women's indoor track and field major awards program, becoming just the third conference coach to be elected by his peers. “It’s a tremendous honor.  “I’m very pleased,” said Thomas.  It was due to the hard work of my athletes.”

Under his guidance, Keene State sent two student-athletes to the 2013 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at North Central College in Naperville, Ill. The Owls produced a strong performance in the national field, placing 13th overall with New England rival MIT. Haggerty became the 21st Keene State national champion, while senior classmate Maggie Fitter (Branford, Conn.) placed fourth in the 800-meter run to earn All-America honors. Earlier in the winter, the Owls finished second in the New England Alliance and Little East Championships, nearly snapping Southern Maine's 13-reign as conference champion. Thomas also mentored 14 student-athletes on the Little East Winter All-Academic teams.