DANBURY, Conn. - The Western Connecticut State University men's and women's track and field teams have added Nicholas LaRocque and Anthony Penta as assistant coaches for the 2026-27 season.  LaRocque will be an assistant throws coach and Penta will be a jumps coach for the Wolves. WestConn, in its third season as a varsity program, will open the 2026-27 indoor season in the Wesleyan University Winter Invitational on December 5.

LaRocque joins the Wolves after volunteering with the program and brings a strong background in throwing events, strength and conditioning, and athlete development.  He will help develop the WestConn throwers and support training sessions and preparation for the Wolves' men's and women's programs. His experience as both a coach and a competitive thrower himself adds valuable expertise to the staff.  LaRocque is employed as an exercise physiologist at Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall, teaching exercise techniques, mobility training, strength development, and healthier lifestyle habits. He also leads weightlifting classes focused on functional movement. 

LaRocque interned at SUNY Cortland as a strength and conditioning coach, following a decorated career as a thrower for the Red Dragons.  He competed collegiately in the discus, hammer and shot put, earning All-SUNYAC and All-AARTFC honors in the shot put. He still competes at the National club level with Shore AC.  LaRocque owns an associates degree in exercise science from Dutchess Community College and bachelor's and master's degrees from SUNY Cortland. 

Penta comes to the Wolves from Springfield College, where he specialized in horizontal and high jumps.  He brings experience in event-specific coaching, strength and conditioning, recruiting, and student-athlete development.  Penta was a graduate assistant Coach for the Pride in 2025-2026, where he designed and implemented training programs, provided meet-day coaching, and assisted with event management and team operations. He also contributed to recruiting efforts, social media initiatives, and alumni engagement programming. 

Prior to Springfield College, Penta was a sports performance coach at Roots Sports Performance and interned as a sports performance coach at the University of Massachusetts. There, he worked with performance metrics and training programs to enhance athletic development.  Penta competed for multiple championship relay teams, having earned All-New England, All-NEWMAC, and United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honors, and qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.  Penta received his bachelor's degree in applied exercise science in 2024 and his master's degree in athletic leadership in 2026 from Springfield.