NEW ORLEANS - For the fifth time in her collegiate career, senior Destiney Coward (East Haven, Conn.) of the Southern Connecticut State University women's track and field team has earned Regional Field Athlete of the Year honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. In addition, throws coach Bill Sutherland, has been recognized with Regional Assistant Coach of the Year honors for his efforts mentoring the Owls' throwers.

Coward has now collected the honor five straight times - outdoors in 2016. indoors and outdoors in 2017 and now indoors in 2018 and outdoors in 2018. Sutherland, meanwhile, collected his eighth Regional Assistant Coach of the Year honor since 2009.

Coward, the 2018 NCAA Champion indoors in the weight throw, enters the outdoor championships as the top seed in the hammer throw with a mark of 66.23 meters. She also is seeded No. 23 in the shot put with a mark of 14.40 meters. She was the NE10 Champion in both the hammer throw and the shot put, and also earned All-Region and All-New England honors in both events. Her season (and career-best) mark in the hammer throw noted above was also the eighth-best in NCAA history. Coward enters this weekend's NCAA Championships with four All-America honors to her credit thus far as a collegian.

Sutherland has mentored a stellar throwing group, one that accounted for more than 30-percent of the team's points at the NE10 Championships as the Owls finished as the runner-up. SCSU also finished sixth overall (tops among Division II schools) at the all-division New England Championship. Numerous Owls were also recognized with All-Region laurels and posted automatic or provisional marks in the shot put, hammer and javelin.