USM Captures Four LEC Postseason Awards
GORHAM, Maine -- The Little East Conference today announced that four members of the University of Southern Maine women's outdoor track and field program are recipients of postseason awards following a vote by the conference's head coaches.
Junior Molly Carl (York, Maine) was selected as the Track Athlete of the Year while senior Bethany Dumas (Augusta, Maine/Cony) was picked as the Field Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive year. Freshman sensation Hannah Wiley (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) received the Rookie Field Athlete of the Year honor, and veteran head coach George Towle was picked by his peers as the Coach of the Year for the second straight year, and the third time in the five-year history of the postseason awards program.
The three competitors were instrumental in the Huskies winning their 13th consecutive conference outdoor title in April. They combined to score 100 of the Huskies 214 total points.
Dumas capped her four-year career by earning All-America honors in the javelin at the NCAA Division III Championships last month. She finished fifth in the event with her school record throw of 43.01 meters (141-1).
A four-time LEC champion in the pole vault, Dumas won her fourth title this year clearing 3.05 meters (10-0). She also had three runner-up finishes in the meet taking second in the 100-meter hurdles (15.60), 400-meter hurdles (1:05.27) and the javelin (35.76 meters/117-4).
Dumas also earned Division III All-New England accolades in the pole vault, and NEIcAAA All-New England honors in the javelin. She received the LEC Field Athlete of the Week award one time during the 2012 season.
An All-American during the cross country season, Carl brought home her second All-America honor this year finishing sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA championships. Carl set a school record in the final covering the grueling distance in 10:40.67.
At the LEC championships, Carl won the 1500 meters with her time of 4:42.78, and came across the finish line in second place in the 800 meters. At the New England Division III Championships, Carl was second in the steeplechase. She finished third in the 1500 at the ECAC Division III Championships the week prior to the NCAA meet.
Carl recently added to her impressive resume when she was named the Capital One Academic All-America ® third team selected by the College Sports Information Director of America (CoSIDA).
Wiley, who swept the indoor rookie of the year awards, is the third USM competitor to receive the Rookie Field Athlete of the Year Award. Dumas (2009) and Nikole Robbins (2010) were the other previous winners. At the LEC championships, she won four events - 100-meter hurdles (15.17), 400-meter hurdles (1:02.66), long jump (5.40 meters/17-8 3/4) and triple jump (11.40 meters/37-5) - and was second in a fifth event (100 meters) to score 48 points. She received six weekly rookie awards during the spring season. During the outdoor campaign, she set six school records.
An NCAA competitor in the 400 hurdles and long jump last month, Wiley won the 400 hurdles and took second in the long jump and triple jump at the N.E. Division III meet. At the NEIcAAA New England Championships, she was third in the 400 hurdles and fourth in the long jump. In her final tune up prior to the NCAA meet, Wiley was fifth in the 200 meters and sixth in the long jump at the ECAC championships.
Towle guided the Huskies to a sweep of the LEC and New England Alliance championships, a fifth-place finish at the New England Division III Championships, and a 20th-place results at the NEIcAAA New England Championships. The LEC title was the 13th straight for the program while the Alliance crown was the third straight, and 12th in the last 13 years. Carl and Dumas became the program's fourth and fifth All-Americans this spring, and three of Towle's athletes were named to the LEC Spring All-Academic team.
Little East Conference
Women's Outdoor Track and Field Awards
Track Athlete of the Year
2012 Molly Carl Southern Maine
2011 Amy Knoblock Keene State
2010 Allison Chamberlain Keene State
2009 Allison Chamberlain Keene State
2008 Jennifer Adams Keene State
Field Athlete of the Year
2012 Bethany Dumas Southern Maine
2011 Bethany Dumas Southern Maine
2010 Bethany Dumas Southern Maine
2009 Kayla Fleming Rhode Island College
2008 Crystal Blamy Keene State
Rookie Track Athlete of the Year
2012 Daria Braboy Rhode Island College
2011 Molly Carl Southern Maine
2010 Maggie Fitter Keene State
2009 none selected
2008 Karina Johnson Eastern Connecticut
Rookie Field Athlete of the Year
2012 Hannah Wiley Southern Maine
2011 Jessica Masse UMass Dartmouth
2010 Nikole Robbins Southern Maine
2009 Bethany Dumas Southern Maine
2008 Bryanna Brown Keene State
Coach of the Year
2012 George Towle Southern Maine
2011 George Towle Southern Maine
2010 Steve Gardiner UMass Dartmouth
2009 Kevin Jackson Rhode Island College
2008 George Towle Southern Maine
Team Sportsmanship Award
2012 Eastern Connecticut State University
2011 Rhode Island College
2010 Eastern Connecticut State University
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