Assistant Sports Information Director Mark Therrien has been selected as a recipient of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Excellence in Communication Awards for NCAA track & field in Division III.
Therrien, in his first year as a full-time staff member (following three as part-time), handles coverage and social media duties for both the men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs, and informs student-athletes’ hometown newspapers of their accomplishments. His previews and recaps consistently land among the most-read stories on the WPI website.
“He understands that this not only is promoting the hard work of the student-athlete, but is helping promote the program to potential recruits,” Men’s and Women’s Track and Field head coach Brian Chabot said in Therrien’s nomination. “He is always seeking out different award programs where our student-athletes’ performances in the classroom or on the track and field can be highlighted. He is well deserving of the Excellence in Communication Award.”
A fixture at many NCAA championships, including four national title games, Therrien has worked numerous contests for institutions such as Holy Cross, Connecticut, Brown, Providence, Harvard, Nichols, Eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island College. He has served as the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Northeast Regional statistician, produced tournament notes for the 2012 Division I/II/III Men’s Lacrosse Championship weekend, and served as a local committee member and ticket manager for the 2011 Division III Field Hockey semifinals and finals. He was also a photography steward for the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship opening rounds in 2010.
Additionally, Therrien has been the publicity director for the Worcester Area College Basketball Association (WACBA) for three seasons and a major off-the-field contributor to the East Side American Legion Post 201 baseball team the past six years, including a state championship in 2011 and a northeast regional championship game appearance in 2013.
