NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The Little East Conference announced its annual men’s cross country awards this afternoon after a vote by the conference’s head coaches. The University of Southern Maine junior Tyler Jasud (Rumford, Maine) was named the Male Runner of the Year, while freshman Alex Gomes (Peabody, Mass.) was selected the Rookie Runner of the Year. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Jon Hird was tabbed the Coach of the Year.

Jasud becomes the second-straight University of Southern Maine student-athlete to be named the Little East’s top runner since its inception in 2007 (Curtis Wheeler). The Rumford, Maine product advanced to the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country Championships, where he nearly earned All-American honors after completing the 8-kilometer course in a time of 25 minutes and five seconds to place 43rd out of 278 competitors. The All-New England pick qualified for the NCAA Championships as an at-large individual selection based on his 11th-place finish at the NCAA New England Regional Championships. Jasud captured three individual championships, including the 2008 Little East Conference/New England Alliance Championships. He covered the 8-kilometer course in a time of 25 minutes and 41.87 seconds to stand atop the conference individual standings. Jasud also was named the Little East Conference Male Runner of the Week five times on the campaign.

Gomes is the seventh-ranked freshman runner in the nation after posting a time of 25 minutes and 36 seconds on the 8-kilometer course at the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships. The native of Peabody, Mass. finished 97th overall in the individual national standings to cap his rookie campaign. He was the first freshman to cross the finish line at the New England Division III Regional Championships, earning All-England recognition with his 16th place result. Gomes was also the top-rookie finisher at the Little East Conference/New England Alliance Championships, Maine State Championship, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Invitational, and University of New England Invitational. He was selected the Little East Conference Rookie Runner of the Week five times.

Hird led the Corsairs to a 16th place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division III New England Regional with a team score of 446 points. UMass Dartmouth shaved off nearly 300 points from last year’s score at the regional meet. The Corsairs were paced by senior Eric Holmes (Abington, Mass.), who covered the 8-kilometer course in 27 minutes and 44 seconds to finish 66th. Hird led his charges to a third place at the Little East Conference/New England Alliance Championships, where UMass Dartmouth outdistanced itself from all MASCAC institutions. He mentored four student-athletes on the annual Little East Conference 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.