Babson Park, Mass. -- May 3, 2011 -- Nickel Hay, Kevin Coyle, and Ken Klatka -- all of the Springfield College men's track & field team -- have been honored by the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference for their efforts during the 2010-2011 season.Hay, a senior from Norwalk, Conn., was named the NEWMAC Track Athlete of the Year. Coyle, a junior from Bradford, N.H., was named the NEWMAC Field Athlete of the Year. And Klatka was named the NEWMAC Men's Track & Field Coach of the Year.
Hay is a business management major, while Coyle is a sport management major. During the indoor season, Coyle won the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in the long jump. He finished fourth in the triple jump, thus becoming a two-time All-American. Coyle also won the NEWMAC titles this past weekend at the Coast Guard Academy in both the long jump and the triple jump.
Hay, this past weekend in New London, Conn., won both the 200 meter and the 400 meter titles. His 4x100 meter relay placed second, and his 4x400 relay finished first.
For Klatka, it is the second time he has been so honored in NEWMAC annals. He also earned this award in 2000.
Ken Klatka, just inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in October, 2011, enters his 37th season as head coach of the men’s track and field program in 2012-2013. He ranks among the nation’s most successful coaches, with an overall record of 442 wins, 144 losses, and two ties for an impressive .753 winning percentage. Under his direction, Kevin Coyle '12 won the 2011 Division III Indoor Long Jump National Championship.
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