March 6, 2007

Metairie, LA - The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Frances Koons the Mid-Atlantic Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year. Every year, the USTFCCCA honors coaches and athletes from the nine Division I regions across the country. Her efforts throughout this year have helped catapult the Villanova women's indoor track team to a No. 17 national ranking.

Koons, a native of Allentown, Pa., was also recently named the Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer at the Big East Indoor Championhips in February. She was a major contributor in Villanova's run to clinch five titles during the indoor conference championships. She claimed the 1,000m in an impressive 2:47.13, and also prevailed in the mile clocking in at 4:46.

In addition, the junior All-American smashed the previous meet record in the 3,000m at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational. Koons finished in an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 9:01.01, which is 12 seconds faster than the previous record of 9:13 held at that meet. Her time moves her to third on the all-time Villanova list behind Olympians Vicki Huber and Sonia O'Sullivan.

Koons looks to add to her already extensive list of accomplishments when she competes in the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend in Fayetteville, Ark.

Other winnners from the Mid-Atlantic are listed below. For a complete list of men's and women's winners from across the country, click here

MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Men's Coach of the Year: Fred Samara, Princeton University

Women's Coach of the Year: Kevin Donner, Bucknell

Men's Field Athlete of the Year: Ryan Fritz, Penn State

Women's Field Athlete of the Year: Gayle Hunter, Penn State

Men's Track Athlete of the Year: Sam Bair, Pittsburgh

Women's Track Athlete of the Year: Frances Koons, Villanova