Alison (Maurer) Freas enters her seventh year as an assistant throws coach at Shippensburg University in 2016-17. Her specialty instruction is with the hammer and the weight.
She is a 2007 graduate of Kutztown University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Art Education.
While at Kutztown, Freas was a standout primarily in the hammer and weight throws. In her senior year she was honored with several awards; Kutztown Senior Athlete of the Year, PSAC Field Athlete of the Year, PSAC Championships Field MVP and the NCAA Division II East Regional Field Athlete of the Year.
Freas was a six-time NCAA Division II qualifier in the hammer and weight throws. She was awarded NCAA Division II Academic All-American twice in the hammer (2005, 2006), as well as earning NCAA Division II Athletic All-American twice in the hammer (2005, 2006) with her highest place being fourth in her 2006 season.
Freas was also a three-time PSAC weight throw champion (2004-06), a PSAC discus Champion (2004) and was the very first PSAC hammer throw champion in 2006 after the PSAC began to sponsor the event at the league championships.
In her six years coaching at Shippensburg, Freas has overseen athletes who have rewritten the men's and women's records in the weight and hammer several times. Those athletes are Chris Nelson – weight (’14) / hammer (‘14), Grant Smith – hammer (’15), Caleb Bartlett – hammer (’16), Liz Smith – weight (’15) and Tamara Ovejera – hammer (’16).
Since 1998, SU throwers have achieved 292 conference place winning performances, 39 individual conference championships, 27 All-American honors, 3 PSAC all-time conference marks, 8 PSAC Championship record holders, one Academic All-American, and one NCAA National Champion - all while re-writing the women’s and men’s record books multiple times.
Shippensburg’s throwers have consistently been at or near the top of the PSAC while showing they can compete with the very best in NCAA Division II in the weight and hammer as well as the other throwing events. SU has more throwers qualifying on the men’s and women’s team in the weight and hammer events as well as more athletes earning Top 8 spots at the conference championships.
Furthermore, Raider throwers have contributed to 40 PSAC team championship or runner-up team efforts (men & women) since 1999.
Freas currently teaches middle school art in Cumberland Valley School District and resides in Lewisberry with her husband Andrew and their two boxers, Glacier and Yukon.
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