FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MANSFIELD, Mass. - Seven former collegiate track & field standouts, including former New Haven standout Shannon Gagne, were enshrined recently into the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II Athlete Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place prior to the Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet.
Jim Dilling (Minnesota State), Gagne (New Haven), Leford Green (Johnson C. Smith), Barbara Pierre (Saint Augustine's), Sean Robbins (Ashland), Josh Scott (Saint Augustine's) and Shermaine Williams(Johnson C. Smith) were all part of the Class of 2017.
Gagne is one of the most decorated student-athletes in Northeast-10 Conference history, and was recognized as the league's Woman of the Year and it's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year following her senior season in 2011.
Shannon Gagne, New Haven
Try and find someone who had a better year than Shannon Gagne did in 2011. Go ahead, we'll wait.
Done looking? We thought so.
That season, Gagne became the 1st individual national champion in New Haven history. However, one title was not enough.
The product out of Meriden, Connecticut became just the 2nd woman to capture three individual NCAA Division II indoor titles in a single year, winning the 200 meter (23.66), 400 meter (54.03) and long jump (5.95m/19-6¼) championships in 2011. Additionally, Gagne won the 200 and 400 meter titles during the outdoor season during the same calendar year, running 23.43 and 53.62, respectively. That feat made her just the 3rd NCAA Division II athlete – regardless of gender – to win 5 national titles in 1 year.
A nine-time All-American, Gagne was named the USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2011.
On top of getting it done on the track and in the field, Gagne was stellar in the classroom as well, earning the 2010-11 Capital One Academic All-America of the Year Award, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Additional information for this release provided by the USTFCCCA website
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
