McKenna Named WIAC Cross Country Coach Of The Year

The WIAC has selected UW-Oshkosh's Eamon McKenna as its 2015 Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

McKenna, who becomes the first UW-Oshkosh award winner since Deb Vercauteren in 1999, recently completed his first season as the Titans' head coach.

McKenna guided UW-Oshkosh to a first-place finish at the WIAC Championship held Oct. 31 at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne. The Titans edged runner-up and two-time defending champion UW-La Crosse for the league title by four points (47-51). It was UW-Oshkosh's first WIAC title since 2000 and 16th overall.

UW-Oshkosh's point total at the WIAC Championship matched its best effort since finishing second with 47 points in 2004. Kylee Verhasselt finished third to lead the Titans, while Hannah Kuenzi placed seventh and Danica Harrison ninth. 

McKenna's Titans earned an automatic berth into the 32-team NCAA Division III Championship by placing second at the Midwest Regional held Nov. 14 in Rock Island, Ill.

UW-Oshkosh scored 106 points at the 40-team regional to fend off third-place University of Chicago (Ill.), which tallied 126 points. Washington University (Mo.) won the regional with 68 points. Kuenzi paced the Titans with a seventh-place performance, while Verhasselt finished 21st and Harrison 23rd.

This season marked UW-Oshkosh's 26th appearance at the NCAA Division III Championship and first since 2012. McKenna's squad placed 15th with 467 points at the event held Nov. 21 at the Lake Breeze Golf Club. Verhasselt led the Titans with a 70th-place finish.

McKenna, who just concluded his fourth year as UW-Oshkosh's head men's cross country coach, had five women collect both all-region and all-conference accolades this past season.

UW-Eau Claire's Lucy Ramquist was chosen as the 2015 WIAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

McKenna is the third UW-Oshkosh coach to receive WIAC Coach of the Year honors this fall. Previous selections were Pat Cerroni in football and Liza Ruetten in women's golf.