Hokie ClubNEW ORLEANS, La. - Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Dave Cianelli was named the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Men’s Head Coach of the Year, Head Cross Country/Distance Coach Ben Thomas was named the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year and redshirt-junior Thomas Curtin was named the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Men’s Athlete of the Year as announced by the USTFCCCA office on Friday afternoon.
Cianelli, on the heels of his third ACC Indoor Championship with the men’s team, achieved the honor after the Hokies claimed five individual ACC championships. This is not the first time Cianelli has received this honor. In fact, Cianelli has been named Region Coach of the Year 12 times prior, making this his 13th time receiving the honor. Cianelli’s squad has seven entries into the national meet on the men’s side and two on the women’s.
Thomas is receiving this honor for the second time in his career after being named the Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2013. Thomas’ distance runners accounted for three individual ACC Champions. In addition, Curtin (3K) Patrick Joseph (Mile), Hanna Green (800), Amanda Smith (800) and the men’s distance medley relay team all qualified for the national championships in Fayetteville, Ark. next week.
Curtin, coming off an ACC individual championship in the 3K, receives the honor for the first time of his career. He has the second fastest 5k time in the nation at 13:38.56, which he ran at Iowa State. Curtin is the ACC champ in the 3k and has also qualified for nationals in the 3k and DMR.
Cianelli, Thomas, Curtin and the Hokies will be back in action next weekend when Tech travels to the University of Arkansas for the 2015 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.