Brett Harvey, who is currently the head coach of the Georgian Court University women’s cross country and track and field programs and was the 2012 NCAA East Region Track and Field Coach of the Year, has been selected to coach the new men’s programs at Georgian Court in Lakewood.
Georgian Court will become fully coeducational in September 2013.
“Coach Harvey was the natural selection for this position,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation Laura B. Liesman. “Since he came on board in 2008, Coach Harvey has done a phenomenal job with building our track and field program from scratch and developing it into one of the elite Division II programs in the Northeast. I expect the same with the men’s program upon its debut in 2013.”
The 2011-12 year was a great one for Harvey and the Lions as they won their first Collegiate Track Conference (CTC) indoor title, which they followed with a second straight CTC outdoor championship.
Georgian Court completed the year with 12 NCAA provisional qualifiers, 16 All-Region performers and 22 conference champions.
The team finished the season ranked No. 3 in the NCAA East Region, an all-time program high, while sending two studentathletes to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Colo.
“I am tremendously honored to receive this opportunity and very humbled that Georgian Court has the confidence in me to develop the men’s cross-country and track and field programs, while being permitted to continue the growth and success we have experienced on the women’s side,” Harvey said.
“It is an exciting time to be a part of the Georgian Court family and I hope to carry some positive momentum into this new era for Georgian Court University,” the coach added.
Harvey, a four-time track and field letter winner, graduated from Lafayette College in 2004 with a B.A. in sociology.
Among this year’s cross country squad are area standouts freshman Jamie Hand, of Howell, Middletown North’s Justine Berger, a senior, Red Bank Catholic’s Laura Amdur, a freshman, and Point Pleasant Borough’s Erin Frye, a senior.
The Lions will make their debut in the 2012 cross country season on Sept. 1 at the Monmouth University Opener at Thompson Park, Lincroft.