Lisa Owens named men's cross-country Coach of the Year

RELEASED: Nov. 30, 2006

DANVILLE, KY—Centre College head men's and women's cross country coach Lisa Owens was recently named the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Region Men's Coach of the year after leading the Centre men's cross country team to its second straight region title and third straight berth in the NCAA Division III NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships.

Owens was honored by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the second straight year after guiding the Colonels to their second straight South/Southeast Region championship, finishing nine points ahead of Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) foe Rhodes College with a team score of 54.

"I feel very honored to have been recognized once again as the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Region Men's Coach of the Year," Owens says. "Our men's cross country program has worked very hard to achieve the successes that it has. I feel very blessed to be able to work with such academically and athletically talented and motivated young people."

Owens took over both the Centre men's and women's cross country teams in 1998 after coaching the women in 1997. She has also been the men's and women's track and field coach at Centre since 2001.

This year was also the second-straight year the Colonels had five runners named all-region and two named to the all-SCAC team.

Competing in the NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Championships for the third consecutive year, the men's cross country team finished 28th overall on Saturday, Nov. 18, in Mason, Ohio.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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