USAT Honors Tim Crowley And Adam Zucco As Top Coaches Of 2009

USA Triathlon announced Tuesday that Tim Crowley and Adam Zucco have been honored as the organization’s coaches of the year for 2009. Crowley was selected as USAT’s National Coach of the Year, while Zucco claimed Developmental Coach of the Year accolades.

Both Crowley and Zucco were selected for coaching their athletes to top finishes on the national and international stages last season.

Crowley, who runs TC2 Training/Coaching in Marlborough, Mass., coaches a number of the nation’s top triathletes, including U.S. Olympian Jarrod Shoemaker, 2008 Pan American champion Jillian Petersen, Alicia Kaye, Sean Jefferson and Nicholas Sterghos.

“With so many great USAT coaches, it is a great honor to be selected,” said Crowley. “So much time and effort goes into getting the athletes prepared to perform well on the international stage, that it’s nice to be recognized for all that work.”

Crowley was honored for his success last season with Shoemaker, who was selected as the 2009 USAT Elite Triathlete of the Year. Under Crowley’s tutelage, Shoemaker was the top-ranked American (10th) in the 2009 ITU World Championship Series standings.

Shoemaker had a memorable and dominant victory in the 2009 Hamburg ITU World Championship Series race after being forced to withdraw from the Kitzbuhel event due to hypothermia. “The win was great, but his ability to come back and turn a less-than-good situation into a great one is something I will always remember,” said Crowley, who also coached Shoemaker to the individual elite title at the ITU Duathlon World Championships.

Zucco, who is the head coach of Illinois-based Multisport Madness Triathlon Junior Team, guided his athletes – Kevin McDowell, Lukas Verzbicas and Ben Kanute – to a sweep of the podium in the 2009 Junior Elite National Championship.

Under Zucco’s guidance, McDowell went on to place fourth at the 2009 ITU Junior Elite World Championships for the highest finish by an American, and Verzbicas claimed the 2009 ITU Junior Elite Duathlon Championship title.

“It’s an extreme honor to be recognized as the Developmental Coach of The Year,” said Zucco. “This sport has given me so much and allowed me to meet people who’ve had a major impact on my life. I’m glad to be able to give back. I proudly accept this honor and consider it as a testament to all the coaches I work with on our team and my coaches in the Training Bible Coaching family.”

Zucco, who was a founder of the largest triathlon club in Chicago, is a USAT Level II coach, a Training Bible elite coach and a long-time member of Joe Friel’s Ultra Fit Association.

Press release provided by USA Triathlon.

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