SRU’s John Papa Named Atlantic Region Women’s Track & Field Coach of the Year

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, March 17, 2016 | 3:39 PM

Slippery Rock University head track and field coach John Papa was named Tuesday as the Atlantic Region Women’s Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The honor marks the 16th Regional Coach of the Year recognition in Papa’s 29-year career at Slippery Rock. He has also been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year 19 times over that stretch.

Papa earned the top honor in voting by his peers among all coaches in the PSAC, the Mountain East Conference and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

The award comes on the heels of Slippery Rock claiming its fifth PSAC title on the women’s side since 2007 after The Rock stormed back on day two of the league championship meet two weeks ago to top defending champion Shippensburg.

Slippery Rock won six event titles at the PSAC meet and took home the overall MVP of the meet in Sabrina Anderson and the Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet in Jasmine Bailey.

In addition to The Rock’s outstanding performance at the PSAC meet, they will send five student-athletes to compete in the upcoming NCAA National Championships this weekend in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Papa is in his 29th year as the head coach at Slippery Rock, where he oversees both the men’s and women’s track and field programs and the cross country teams.