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WNE voters help athletic department win $10,000 prize |
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January 16, 2012
SPRINGFIELD — Although he wasn’t selected as the 2011 Liberty Mutual Division III Football Coach-of-the-Year on Jan. 9, Keith Emery and Golden Bear fans helped Western New England University (WNE) win $10,000 from the insurance company.
Liberty Mutual announced that the WNE Alumni Association was the recipient of the Division III Alumni Rally Award for having the most fan participation in online voting.
The amount of fan support was determined by dividing the number of fan votes during the first-round voting period by the number of eligible alumni.
Emery, a native of Enfield, Conn., finished third among five finalists in the national fan voting portion of the process.
The Alumni Association will receive $10,000 from Liberty Mutual, which will go to the Golden Bear Fund for football.
WNE enjoyed its best season with a 10-2 record this past fall, which included a perfect 7-0 mark for first place in the New England Football Conference (NEFC) Boyd Division.
The Golden Bears captured their first NEFC Championship title with a thrilling 20-13 home victory over Framingham State and made their inaugural appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship dropping a first-round contest at No. 13 Salisbury (Maryland).
WNE also finished second behind Amherst in the final New England Division III Coaches Poll and received 15 votes to rank 32nd among 239 schools in the final American Football Coaches Association Division III Poll.
Emery was a repeat selection as the NEFC Boyd Division Coach-of-the-Year and was selected the New England Football Writers Association Division II/III Coach-of-the-Year.
WNE was a winner off the field as well, participating in numerous community service projects, including Rebuilding Together Springfield.
Glenn Caruso of St. Thomas (Minnesota) won his second straight Liberty Mutual Division III Coach-of-the-Year Award.
The others winners were Les Miles (Louisiana State University), Rob Ash (Montana State), and Tim Beck (Pittsburg State, Kansas).
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