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CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Wed., Dec. 6, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cross Country

Swanson receives two regional awards

FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia State's Nolan Swanson has received an NCAA Atlantic Regional cross country coaching award for the second consecutive season.

Swanson was named women's Coach of the Year among the 56 coaches in the Atlantic Region. In addition, he was also named as Coach of the Year from among the coaches whose teams finished in first- through fifth-place at the regional championship meet held Nov. 11.

The Fredonia State women finished fifth with at the regional meet, held at Letchworth State Park. The top four teams, in order, were Geneseo, College of New Jersey, Ithaca, and Plattsburgh. In all, 30 full women's teams were entered.

In 2005, Swanson was named Atlantic Regional Men's Cross Cross Country Coach of the Year. He just recently learned of the award, which is given annually -- like the women's award -- to the top coach in the NCAA Atlantic Region, comprised of 56 Division III colleges and universities.

"This (winning three awards in two seasons) is a testament," Swanson said, "to how hard my distance kids train and how they have bought into my training methods."

In an interview with Trackshark.com talks more about his coaching style. "There are no cycles in our training," he said. "We will focus on what we need depending on what kind of a summer my kids had, what time of year it is and what looks like (is) missing. We like hills in the first half of the season and trail intervals. I'm not afraid to taper our kids for a mid-season meet either. Good confidence can be worth quite a bit."

To read the entire interview, go to Trackshark.com site and look under the NCAA Division III blog link. (online users can read the interview HERE).

Swanson joined the Fredonia State coaching staff in 2004 after a stellar running career which included two All-America awards at Wake Forest and a spot on the United States national cross county team. A native of Chautauqua County, he returned home from Oregon -- where he was running professionally -- to become head coach of cross country. He was named head coach of women's track and field for the 2005-06 season, and assumed the combined position of head coach of cross country/track and field in spring 2006.

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