Penny Osborne of the University of Southern Maine has been named the 1999 NCAA Division III New England Region Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year. The United States Track Coaches Association and Mondo Surfacing selects and presents the award annually to the top athlete in each of the eight NCAA Division III women's cross country regions. The announcement is held in conjunction with the NCAA Division III Championship, which is hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Nov. 20.

Osborne, a senior from Farmington, Maine, won the New England Regional on Nov. 13 to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championship. The nursing major won the New England Regional title with a time of 17:23 on the 5,000-meter course. She will be the lone representative for the Huskies at the NCAA Division III Championship.

Earlier this year, Osborne won individual titles at the Little East Conference and State of Maine Championships.