Kathy Manizza Named Eastern Connecticut Cross Country and Track Coach

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Kathy Manizza has been appointed head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach at Eastern Connecticut State University, returning to the program as head coach after a 13-year head coaching stint at the Division I level.

The appointment was announced by Eastern interim director of athletics Michael J. Stenko.

A veteran of 22 seasons of coaching at the college and high school levels, Manizza returns to Eastern in a fulltime capacity after serving as its parttime head men's and women's cross country coach for seven years (1993-99) and as its head men's and women's track and field coach for five (1994-98). Manizza replaces Frank Poulin, who had served as head coach for the past 11 years.

For the past 13 years, Manizza has coached men's and women's cross country and men's and women's track and field at the University of Hartford, a Division I institution which competes in the America East conference.

"Coach Manizza will bring a vitality to our cross country and track and field programs," praised Stenko. "We are excited that she is returning to Eastern."

Manizza, a longtime reside of Mansfield who currently resides in Bolton, becomes the12th permanent cross country coach since the advent of the program in 1971 and 13th head track and field coach since 1975. All but three of those former coaches served in parttime capacities.

"Having coached at Eastern previously, I am very aware of the outstanding potential of the program," offered Manizza. "I learned a tremendous amount in my 13 years at Hartford, which would I will put to good use in the continued development of the track and field and cross country programs at Eastern. Eastern," said Manizza, "is a wonderful university and I am very pleased to be a fulltime member of the athletic staff."

Manizza, who served as an assistant track and cross country coach at Eastern for two years before being appointed head coach, coached 32 Division III All-New England athletes in five outdoor seasons as head coach at Eastern, one of whom was a New England javelin champion and five of whom placed second in the regional meet.

As she did at Eastern, Manizza instituted the indoor track and field program and early in her tenure produced the program's first New England champion. This past spring, the Hartford women finished 12th and the men finished 14th at the New England Open Championship. The women's program boosted the New England champion at 400 meters and the men's program featured the 200 meter champion.

In addition to featuring 13 cross country and track and field All-America athletes in its 41-year history, Eastern has won a total of 11 Little East Conference and New England Alliance Championships in track and field and has placed as high as second 15 times since the advent of those meets in 1998.