Blake Named NEC Cross Country Coach Of The Year
Blake has been named cross country coach of the year 17 times in his career
With two NEC Cross Country championships added to the resume last month Central Connecticut State head cross country coach Eric Blake was named the NEC Cross Country Coach of the Year for men's and women's cross country.
Joining Blake on the cross country staff are CCSU alumna Nicole Dumpson-Jackson, Tyler Raymond, Alex Norstrom and Brooke Morabito.
It marks the second consecutive year that Blake and company have earned the award for both genders. All told, Blake has earned Coach of the Year honors 27 times during his tenure, with 17 total cross-country honors. Blake has now earned 11 men's honors, winning the honor in four of the past five seasons. It marks the sixth honor on the women's side, all since 2018.
The Blue Devils repeated as dual champions in cross country this fall. The men's team won a league record 13th all-time championship, capturing the crown for the third consecutive season. The men's team has won four of the last five NEC Championships.
The women repeated as NEC Champions and won a league-record ninth all-time title. The Blue Devil women have taken home the league title in seven of the past eight seasons.
The league also officially announced NEC All-Rookie honorees from the cross-country championship, The team is made up of the top seven NEC finishers that are rookies in cross country. Lillian Tabellione and Isabella Jensen were honors on the women's side while Mario Oliva was recognized on the men's side.
The men's and women's All-Conference teams were announced at the completion of the NEC Championship. The teams are comprised of the first 14 runners to cross the finish line at each race.
