NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. –The Little East Conference office handed out its annual hardware for the 2009 men’s indoor track and field season this afternoon after a vote by the conference’s head coaches. Keene State College sophomores Craig MacPherson (Derry, N.H.) and Bryan Kolacz (Brentwood, N.H.) were named track and field athletes of the year, respectively. The University of Southern Maine freshman duo of Tim Even (Stoneham, Maine) and Mattia Zagon (Portland, Maine) were selected as the rookie track and field athletes of the year, respectively. Scott Hutchinson was tabbed the coach of the year by his peers for the second straight season.

MacPherson made his second consecutive appearance on the All-America podium at the NCAA Division III Championships, placing third in the mile with a time of 4:09.81. The Derry, N.H. product entered the national meet as the top-ranked runner in the event after posting the fastest time in the nation at the New England Championships (4:08.62). MacPherson also turned in a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:54.11 in the 800-meter race at the Tufts Invitational. The 2009 All-ECAC honoree did not compete in the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championships due to an illness. He was named the track athlete of the week five of the 10 times the weekly honor was announced by the conference office.

Kolacz earned his first trip to the NCAA Division III Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championships, participating in the 35-lb weight throw. The native of Brentwood, N.H. posted a NCAA automatic qualifying throw of 18.50 meters to capture the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championship at the University of Southern Maine. His performance at the conference championship was the third longest toss in the nation and set a new Keene State record. Kolacz also won the New England Division III Championship in the weight throw, while sitting atop the Little East Conference individual standings in the shot put (13.63 meters).

Even set the Huskies’ 800-meter record and nearly posted a NCAA provisional qualifying time at the New England Open Championships, tripping the clock at 1:54.31. The Stoneham, Maine product also earned NCAA Division III All-New England recognition in the 800 with his eighth place performance. Evan was selected the most outstanding track athlete at the Maine State Championships after winning the 1,000-meter race and placing third in the mile. Even turned in his fastest time in the mile at the New England Open Championships, finishing 11th overall with a time of 4:16.03. He also won the Little East Conference title in the 1,000-meter and mile, while placing second in the 4X800 relay. Evan was named the rookie track athlete of the week an astonishing six times.

Zagon dominated the long jump event this past winter, winning the Little East Conference and Maine State Championships. The Portland, Maine native set the Southern Maine long jump record at the conference championships with a leap of 6.77 meters. Zagon earned NCAA Division III All-New England and All-ECAC honors in the long jump with a pair of top-six performances. At the Little East Championships, the rookie received all-conference recognition in the 55 and 200-meter dashes with third place results.

Hutchinson guided his Huskies to a top-10 finish at the New England Division III Championships for the fourth consecutive year with 25.5 total points. The Southern Maine 4X400-meter relay team won the event with a time of 3:27.43 to earn the majority of the Huskies points. Hutchinson led his charges to the program’s first Little East Conference Championship since 2005 with 244 total points, outdistancing the field by 155 points. Southern Maine also captured the 2009 New England Alliance team title after earning runner-up honors the previous two seasons. He also mentored a conference-best seven student-athletes on the annual Little East Winter All-Academic teams.

Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East Conference has since grown to its present eight-school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.