Eastern athletic director receives lifetime achievement award at NCAA convention

Runksmeier retiring after 10 years as a Warrior

by Noel Teter

Willimantic, CT (01/28/2026) — Lori Runksmeier's tenure as director of athletics at Eastern Connecticut State University has spanned more than 10 years and includes milestones such as the addition of new varsity programs, facilities upgrades, many Little East Conference championships, and, of course, Eastern's 2022 national title in baseball. This January, Runksmeier's service and success earned her a prestigious award - a fitting end to a decorated career.

Runksmeier, who retires on April 1, was awarded the Richard A. Rasmussen Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIAA) at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Convention in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 15.

The award recognizes professionals who have contributed significantly to NCAA Division III athletics.

In her decade at Eastern, Runksmeier has overseen the addition of four new Little East Conference teams, including men's swimming (2019-20), men's golf (2020-21), women's golf (2025-26), and women's flag football, which will begin play in spring 2027. Eastern now offers 21 total NCAA DIII programs, 12 for women and nine for men.

Eastern's athletic teams under Runksmeier have been marked by success on the field and in the classroom. Eastern won six straight Little East Conference (LEC) Commissioner's Cups from 2016-17 through 2022-23, the conference's top honor for overall institutional athletic performance. Eastern also hoisted four Presidents' Cups (2015-16, 2016-17, 2019-20, and 2020-21) during Runksmeier's tenure, recognizing the University's academic excellence across its championship-eligible programs.

Runksmeier also administered the installation of new turf fields at Eastern's multi-use field hockey, soccer, and lacrosse facility in 2018 and at its baseball and softball facilities, which began this past fall and are expected to be completed by the spring 2026 season.

Her decision to come to Eastern in 2015 hinged largely on the prestige of its programs: "I thought, 'this place has won nine national championships,'" she said. "I could have a chance to win a national championship."

Sure enough, that NCAA DIII championship title came in 2022, courtesy of Eastern's baseball team, and sticks out in Runksmeier's mind as a key accomplishment. "Even when we won it, I didn't appreciate how rare it was," she said. "There are more than 400 DIII schools, and to be the one that didn't end that season on a loss was incredible."

Several other teams have represented Eastern at national tournaments during Runksmeier's tenure, including field hockey in 2021, men's golf in 2023 and 2024, and softball in 2019 and 2022, not to mention many more conference championships in the LEC.

Traveling with those teams to national tournaments has stuck with Runksmeier: "Seeing athletes who have worked hard for an entire season and can celebrate themselves in the NCAA tournament is special," she said.

Along with the tournament trips, Runksmeier fondly remembers seeing former women's basketball coach Denise Bierly retire after a successful 30-year career. "Those are the kinds of things I'll remember more than day-to-day stuff," she said.

Runksmeier's contributions to NCAA DIII athletics span 35 years, including her former role as director of athletics and recreation at New England College (NEC) from 1999 to 2015. There, she oversaw 19 athletic programs, adding seven during her tenure, and her department added a lighted turf field among other significant facility renovations.

Runksmeier began to understand the importance of cultivating meaningful professional relationships early in her tenure at NEC, when she also began her involvement with NCAA governance, a role she has parlayed into several positions within the NCAA Division III Management Council and as president of the NADIIIAA.

"I started out wanting to learn and grow professionally," she said. "I found out that knowing the governance structure helped my athletes, and every committee you're on, you're with four or five other people. Knowing all of them also paid off."

She continued: "This job is 90% about people and relationships. It starts with the student athletes, and the only way coaches can take care of student athletes is if I'm trying to take care of the coaches."

While at Eastern, Runksmeier has found that providing resources for her coaches has led to professional success and meaningful memories on both sides: "Knowing that it is a people business, and that caring and trying are part of what we have to do, has been reinforced for me over my time here."

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