2023 ACAC Cross-Country Coach of the Year
Edmonton, AB (November 2, 2023) –
Cross-Country Coach of the Year | DOUG SPICER | Red Deer Kings & Queens:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Doug Spicer of the Red Deer Kings & Queens has been selected as the 2023 ACAC Cross-Country Coach of the Year.
Spicer assumed the role of head coach for the Kings and Queens Cross-Country team last season. In his two years with the program, he has witnessed remarkable growth. With the Queens, they progressed from finishing third in last year's championship to earning a silver medal at this year's competition. Notably, the women didn't secure first place in any of the Grand Prix races last year. However, in the current season, the Queens clinched the overall Grand Prix crown, securing first place in all four competitions.
On the Kings' side, they have now achieved two consecutive years of winning a silver medal at the ACAC Championships. However, they also did not secure any victories in the Grand Prix races last year. In the 2023/2024 season, they managed to win three out of the possible four races, narrowly edging out the SAIT Trojans for the overall Grand Prix crown.
Randy Stewart, Manager of Athletics and Student Life, highlights Spicer's exceptional commitment to his student-athletes on and off the trails. He notes, "Coach Doug Spicer is one of the most sincere, genuine, and caring coaches I have ever met. Doug goes above and beyond the traditional role of a post-secondary coach by recruiting several student-athletes who love the sport and work diligently on the track and in the classroom. Many athletes from his teams have actively participated in our student-athlete leadership council and have been integral to our community engagement efforts as a post-secondary school. He is a competent and skilled coach with a team-first mentality."
Both the Kings and Queens will now prepare for the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Cross-Country Championships, which will be held in Truro, Nova Scotia, hosted by Dalhousie Agricultural Campus from November 10-11.
This prestigious accolade was formally acknowledged at the 2023 ACAC Running Room Cross-Country Championship, hosted by the Lethbridge College Kodiaks in Lethbridge, Alberta.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Kayla Blacquiere, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
kaylab@acac.ab.ca