The West Hartford athletic director will be honored by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association at the organization’s May banquet.

West Hartford Athletic Director Betty Remigino-Knapp has been named Athletic Director of the Year by the CHSCA. Courtesy photo

By Ronni Newton

The Connecticut High School Coaches Association recently announced this year’s top honorees, and West Hartford Athletic Director Betty Remigino-Knapp has earned the distinction of “Athletic Director of the Year.”

Remigino-Knapp, who has been director of athletics for for both Conard and Hall since 1996, said that the award is really a reflection of the high schools’ athletic programs and coaches. “It’s not really my award, it’s the programs’ award. I’m just the facilitator,” she said.

She also credited Conard assistant Kerry Roller and Hall assistant Maryann Seguro for their wonderful work making everything run smoothly behind the scenes.

Between both West Hartford high schools, there are 29 teams and approximately 60 coaches overseeing an average of 870 student athletes each year to oversee.

“It’s really a reflection of all of them, and shows that the organization really respects what we have in West Hartford,” Remigino-Knapp said.

Remigino-Knapp is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University and began her athletics career coaching at Conard in 1977. She was Conard’s head cross country and track and field coach from 1978-1980. During her tenure, the 1978 cross country team won the Class L title and in 1979 the outdoor track and field team won the State Open Championship.

From 1980-1996, Remigino-Knapp was head cross country and track and field coach at UConn. She led her teams to two Big East championships and a New England championship, and coached five All Americans, three Academic All-American Scholar Athletes, and two Olympic qualifiers.

She served as president of the Big East Coaches Association from 1994-96 and was president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Track and Field Rules Committee for six years.

Last year Remigino-Knapp was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors.

“I’ve been really fortunate with the administration being so supporting of everything I’ve done,” said Remigino-Knapp. She believes she’s surrounded herself with great people, many of whom have been named coach of the year.

It’s only fitting that Remigino-Knapp win Athletic Director of the Year in 2016. It’s a sign that she is going out on top. Remigino-Knapp plans to retire this year, and the official announcement is expected to be made to the Board of Education in March.

The CHSCA will hold its 52nd annual Recognition Dinner on May 12, at 7 p.m., at the Aqua Turf in Southington.

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