NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The Little East Conference office announced its annual women’s cross country major award winners this afternoon after a vote by the conference’s coaches. Keene State College sophomore Paige Mills (Keene, N.H.) was named the runner of the year, while University of Massachusetts Dartmouth sophomore Caitlin McGarigal (Shutesbury, Mass.) was selected as the rookie runner of the year. The Owls’ Peter Thomas was tabbed as the coach of the year, while Rhode Island College was honored with the inaugural team sportsmanship award.

Mills was the lone runner from the conference to compete at the 2009 NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships after earning an at-large berth into the national field. The Keene, N.H. product bolstered her resume at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships, where Mills covered the 6-kilometer course at Southern Maine in a time of 22 minutes, 3.7 seconds to finish sixth overall. On her home turf at the New England Alliance/Little East Conference Championships, she tripped the clock on the 5-kilometer course at 19 minutes, 3 seconds to help Keene State capture both team championship titles. Mills represented the Owls on the All-Little East and All-New England Alliance teams with a second and third place result, respectively. Earlier this season, she was the first conference harrier in the 301-person field to cross the finish line at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational. Mills earned the runner of the week citation from the conference office for her efforts in North Dartmouth, Mass.

McGarigal was the top runner for the Corsairs’ this season, leading UMass Dartmouth across the finish line in each of the seven meets she competed in. The native of Shutesbury, Mass. turned in her best performance on a 6-kilometer course at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships, covering the Twin Brooks course in a time of 23 minutes, 25.4 seconds. Two weeks earlier, she completed the 5-kilometer layout at the New England Alliance/Little East Championships in a time of 19 minutes, 13 seconds to earn All-New England Alliance and All-Little East honors. McGarigal ran a season-best time in the 5k at the Albany Invitational, tripping the clock at 19 minutes, 10 seconds. She is the first Corsair to win a major award in women’s cross country.

Thomas is making his second-straight appearance as the top coach in the Little East after guiding Keene State to its 10th consecutive Little East Championship this fall. The Owls cruised to the conference championship, placing all five of their scorers inside the top-10. Junior Allison Chamberlain (Scarborough, Maine) paced the hosts, while Mills and Andrea Walsh (Bolton, Conn.) followed in suit as Keene State finished 1-2-3. Two weeks later, the Owls finished eighth overall at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships. Keene State captured three team titles on the campaign, while placing in the top-five in four of its seven meets. Thomas mentored four student-athletes on the All-Little East team, while seven harriers were All-Little East Academic honorees.

Kevin Jackson led Rhode Island College to a sweep of the team sportsmanship awards in cross country this season as the Anchorwomen join the men’s team as inaugural winners. Rhode Island College posted the program’s best finish at the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships in the past six years, finishing 30th in a field of 47 teams with 886 points. The Anchorwomen placed sixth in the New England Alliance team standings for the second-straight season, while finishing fourth at the Little East Championships. Junior Katie Desrosiers (Warwick, R.I.) set the pace for Rhode Island College, leading the Anchorwomen across the finish line in seven meets. Jackson mentored a pair of All-Little East Academic recipients.

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.