Legassie and Smith gain honors
The University of Maine at Presque Isle women’s and men’s cross country team was well represented when the Association of NCAA Division III Independents released its “All-Independent Team” recently.
Winning major awards were Owls’ head coach Chris Smith, who was named “Coach of the Year,” while UMPI runner Kayla Legasse, a sophomore from Presque Isle, capped a stellar rookie campaign by being named the association’s “Rookie of the Year.”
For Smith, it was the second time he has been bestowed with the AD3I distinction, first winning the award in 2006 when he was named women’s and men’s coach of the year.
Legasse, who recently was named a first team USCAA All-American, was placed on the AD3I second team. Four of her teammates — Nicole Green, a senior from Caribou; Kati Christoffel, a senior from Clifton Park, N.Y.; Carly Langley, a junior from Truro, Nova Scotia; and Ghazaleh Sailors, a sophomore from Santa Barbara, Calif. — were given “honorable mention” distinctions.
On the men’s side, Thomas Grylka, a freshman from East Hampton, Conn.; Philip Boody, a junior from New Sweden and Corey Hebert, a freshman from Baldwin, all made the second team. Receiving honorable mention were Garrett and Tyler Hilton, freshmen from Charleston.
The Association of Division III Independents consists of 10 Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize student-athletes at independent institutions, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition.
The association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis and provides statistical services for its members in seven sports. In addition, it will announce All-Independent teams at the conclusion of eight other sports this year.
More information about the Association of Division III Independents is available at www.d3independents.org.
