BIDDEFORD, Maine – After concluding a 20th year as head cross country coach at the University of New England, Ron Ouellette will make the 2019 season his last leading the Nor'easters. Director of Athletics Heather Davis announced the retirement in early December.

"Ron has had a very distinguished coaching career at UNE," Davis commented. "His programs have been remarkably successful in all facets of the student-athlete experience -- on the course, in sportsmanship, in the classroom, and as part of the community. Ron's quiet demeanor and leadership style have had a profound influence on the character and tradition of excellence with these teams, and he is leaving us well-positioned for the future."

Ouellette took over the men's and women's teams in 2000. The UNE women grew into one of the elite programs in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, and have had moments of challenging the top teams in the New England region. They ascended to the front of the CCC ranks during the last 10 years, claiming seven consecutive championships (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018) by an average of 27 points, and once with a perfect score of 15. Those seasons were sandwiched in between three runner-up finishes (by 10 points, 1 point, and 1 point). The women also took second place once during the early portion of his tenure.

Under Ouellette, the men have also been consistently competitive throughout the years, becoming stronger and deeper with each season. They captured the program's first CCC title in 2018, by 41 points, and backed it up with a 38-point repeat victory in 2019. Overall, the men have 14 top-three showings at the league meet when adding in the five runner-up and seven third-place efforts.

Ouellette took home a combined 12 CCC Coach of the Year honors in his time, coming in 2006 (women), 2011 (both), 2012 (women), 2013 (women), 2014 (women), 2015 (women), 2016 (women), 2017 (women), 2018 (both), and 2019 (men). Between the two annual championships, he mentored 83 all-conference runners (49 women, 34 men) and eight first-place finishers (5 women, 3 men).
 
The women's squad ran away with a total of 39 events over the last 20 seasons, with a high of six in 2016, and only three years without one. On top of winning the conference meet in 2014, the Nor'easters secured program-best finishes at the Maine Championship (2nd of 11), Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championship (2nd of 48), and NCAA Division III New England Championship (9th of 57). Ouellette's group then took 2nd of 46 at the ECAC race the next year.

The men were victorious 21 times through his years, including multiple-win campaigns in 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016 (highest with 4), 2018, and 2019. In 2013, they peaked at 10th out of 46 at the ECAC Championship and 22nd out of 50 at the NCAA regional. This past season, Ouellette's career came to a close as he accompanied one of the men to the Division III national championship in Kentucky – UNE's first-ever qualifier, from either gender, into the field at the finals.

Aside from competition, the teams have produced incredibly high academic marks and are among the leading programs in the department. The women's best semester grade point average in recent reports has been 3.61, and averaged out at 3.46 over the last nine years. In that same span, the men have averaged 3.29 with a high of 3.58 in a semester. In 2011, the women were presented with the ECAC's inaugural Scotty Whitelaw Sportsmanship Award for team members coming to the aid of a stricken competitor at the previous year's race, and sacrificing their own personal times in the process.

The various achievements by Ouellette's squads landed him an October 2017 induction into the UNE Varsity Club Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2015, he also became a member of the Maine Sports Legends Hall of Honor.

"I have been very fortunate to coach at the University of New England," expressed Ouellette, who is a Biddeford native. "The student-athletes are the reason for the great success of our programs, with their hard work and dedication. I will always remember their efforts with gratitude and pride. Thank you to all that made our accomplishments possible."

His successor as the next cross country coach at UNE will also become the head coach of the newest varsity sport, women's outdoor track & field. In June 2019, Davis announced the addition of the Nor'easters' 18th program, which currently exists in club form. A national search for the full-time coaching position of the three sports will begin in the coming months.

An informal reception to honor Ouellette will occur on January 18 (12 p.m.) at the Harold Alfond Forum. Ouellette and the men's 2019 CCC championship team will be publicly recognized in front of the campus community later that afternoon (approximately 1:45) at halftime of the women's basketball game.