NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Southern Connecticut State swept the the 2025 Northeast 10 Cross Country Championships and the NCAA East Region Championship, and now the Owls nearly swept the NE10 postseason cross country honors. SCSU student-athletes were voted by the league's coaches as the men's and women's Runner of the Year and men's Rookie of the Year. Coaches John Wallin and Melissa Stoll-Funaro were named Coaches of the Year.
Jonathan Volpe, the 2x NE10 champion, takes home NE10 Runner of the Year for the first time in his career. Volpe dominated at the conference race, winning with a 6k time of 25:46.8 on a woodsy Saint Anselm course. He's the second consecutive SCSU runner to win the league's top honor, following Owen Gagne last fall. It's the first time in Owls history that the team has won Runner of the Year in back-to-back years.
Courtney Henchcliffe, the first Southern NE10 champion since 2009, was named the NE10 Runner of the Year on the women's side. She's also the first Owl to win that honor since ... 2009, when champion Lauren Brustolon won.
Both NE10 champions took home Runner of the Year and while, yes, the champ is in great position to win the award, it is not always the case. Volpe did not win in 2022 after crossing the line first at the conference meet.
Rookie of the Year was split between two programs. SCSU's Colton Sallum, who finished second overall in Manchester, is the men's Rookie of the Year. Sallum follows John Glidden and becomes the fourth straight runner from New Haven to win the honor.
Saint Anselm freshman Jillian Olson finished 13th running on her home course at the NE10 Championship, the top rookie woman. Olson bested Assumption's Emily Oliver by four seconds at the title meet. Following that performance, Olson earned the votes to be named Rookie of the Year, a first for the Hawks since Erin Thrope in 2000.
As for Coach of the Year, Wallin's win is his fourth straight. The honor is a first for SCSU women's coach Melissa Stoll-Funaro. Brian Nill is Southern's top assistant for distance running for both the men and women.
Men's Runner of the Year: Jonathan Volpe, SCSU
Women's Runner of the Year: Courtney Henchcliffe, SCSU
Men's Rookie of the Year: Colton Sallum, SCSU
Women's Rookie of the Year: Jillian Olson, Saint Anselm
Men's Coach of the Year: John Wallin, SCSU
Women's Coach of the Year: Melissa Stoll-Funaro, SCSU
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season. The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.