NEW ORLEANS, La. – Three members of the Notre Dame cross country programs were recognized by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association with regional awards for the 2025 season.
Mary Bonner Dalton was recognized as the Great Lakes Region Women’s Athlete of the Year after placing second at the Great Lakes Regional and tenth at the NCAA Championships. She took the title at the Joe Piane Invitational and earned second place at both the ACC Championships and National Catholic Invitational.
Hatherly-Piane Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Matt Sparks was named as the Great Lakes Region Women’s Coach of the Year. He helped lead the Irish to a seventh place finish at the NCAA Championships after Notre Dame captured the Great Lakes Regional title. Notre Dame also claimed second at the ACC Championships in the 2025 season. It is the fifth-consecutive year Sparks has garnered the regional coach of the year honor.
Chris Neal was selected as the Great Lakes Region Men’s Coach of the Year after his squad took first place at the Great Lakes Regional. The Irish finished fourth at the ACC Championships and were 13th at the NCAA Championships earlier this month. It is the first regional coach of the year honor for Neal.
The full list of 2025 regional honorees is available by clicking here.