Curtin Named USTFCCCA Division II East Region Men’s Coach of the Year for 2nd Time
WALTHAM, Mass. – For the second time in four years, Bentley University cross country coach Kevin Curtin has been named the USTFCCCA Division II East Region Men's Coach of the Year by the United States Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association.
The Billerica native and resident received his latest honor after his Falcons placed second in Sunday's NCAA Division II East Regional to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2012 and the sixth time in program history. The nationals will be held in Joplin, Mo. on Nov. 21.
Bentley was the only team in the East Region to place all seven of its runners in the top 40. In fact, no other program had more than five in the top 40. The Falcons improved from being ranked sixth in the region entering the championships and a fifth-place showing in the Northeast-10 Championships two weeks earlier.
Of the five Falcons who also competed in last year's regional, four bettered their 2014 performance significantly with the one who didn't only a couple weeks back from injury. Included were sophomore Ryan Cadorette (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy), who climbed from 68th to 17th, and junior Erik Alatalo (Wilmington/Wilmington HS), who moved up 55 places to 34th.
In the USTFCCCA Division II poll released on Wednesday, the Falcons moved into the top 25 at number 24. It's the program's first national ranking since they were 23rd entering the 2012 NCAA Championships.
In Curtin's five seasons as Bentley's head cross country coach, he's led a team to the NCAAs four time with the women going in 2011 and 2013, and the men in 2012 and this year.