USTFCCCA News & Notes
USTFCCCA Announces Division III Outdoor Track & Field Regional Honorees
NEW ORLEANS – Defending NCAA champions Sumer Rohrs of Frostburg State, Peter Kosgei of Hamilton, and Lisa Brown of Gustavus Adolphus, and coaches Barbara Crousen of McMurry and Chris Schumacher of Illinois Wesleyan are among the 64 men’s and women’s regional athletes and coaches of the year for the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced on Monday.
The USTFCCCA selects the top track athlete, field athlete, head coach, and assistant coach for the eight regions in NCAA Division III outdoor track & field.
Rohrs, the 2009 Mideast Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, won the 2008 NCAA title in the 100 meter hurdles. She will compete this year in both the 100 meter hurdles, where she has the second fastest entering time, and in the 400 meter hurdles, where she holds the fastest time in Division III this season.
Kosgei, the 2009 Atlantic Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year, was a double champion in 2008, winning titles in both the 3000 meter steeplechase and the 5000 meters. Kosgei is prepared to defend both titles, as he is entered in both events again in 2009. He enters the NCAA Championships with the fastest time in the steeplechase.
Brown, the 2009 Central Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, will look to defend her 2008 NCAA title in the javelin this weekend. She again has the top entering mark in the field, with a best mark of 161’ (49.08m).
After becoming the first female coach to lead a men’s team to a national championship at the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, Crousen will again have a strong McMurry contingent at the 2009 NCAA Championships. Crousen is the 2009 South/Southeast Region Men’s Head Coach of the Year.
2008 was also a year of firsts for Schumacher, as he led Illinois Wesleyan to its first team titles in any NCAA sport by winning the 2008 Indoor Track & Field team title and tying for the team championship outdoors. Led by coach Schumacher, the 2009 Midwest Region Women’s Head Coach of the Year, IWU will look to defend its title at this weekend’s championship.
The USTFCCCA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Stephanie Herrick – The College of New Jersey
Herrick, a senior from Wayne, New Jersey, was the 2009 New Jersey Athletic Conference champion in both the 800 meters and 1500 meters. She holds the fastest time in the nation in the women’s 800 meters heading into the NCAA Championships with a best mark of 2:08.69. Herrick also run’s on TCNJ’s seventh-ranked 4×400 meter relay squad.
CENTRAL REGION – Katie Theisen – University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
A senior from Elko, Minn., Theisen scored 22 points at the MIAC outdoor track & field championships to lead St. Thomas to the team title. Theisen is ranked 3rd in the steeplechase with a time of 10:36.39 heading into the national championships, and she will also compete as a member of St. Thomas’s fifth-ranked 4×400 meter relay. Theisen also recorded provisional marks in the 800 meters and 1500 meters during the outdoor season.
GREAT LAKES REGION – Callen Martin – Wilmington College (Ohio)
Martin heads into the NCAA Championships with the fastest qualifying time in the 100 meters and ninth-fastest time in the 200 meters. Martin’s marks of 11.85 and 24.80 are both school records. She was the OAC Champion in the 100 meters and placed 2nd in the 200 meters en route to scoring a total of 28.5 points for the Quakers at the conference meet. Martin is a junior from Cincinnati, Ohio.
MIDEAST REGION – Sumer Rohrs – Frostburg State University
Rohrs will compete in both the 100 meter hurdles and 400 meter hurdles at the 2009 NCAA Championships. She ranks first in Division III in the 400 meter hurdles with a best time of 60.97 and second in the 100 meter hurdles with a season-best time of 14.04. Rohrs was the Mason-Dixon Conference champion in the 400 meter hurdles.
MIDWEST REGION – Ayla Mitchell – University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Mitchell achieved qualifying marks for the Division III Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in the 800 meters, 1500 meters, and 5000 meters, but she will focus on just two of those this weekend. She has the fastest qualifier in Division III in the 1500 meters at 4:20.78 and the fourth-best mark in the 5000 meters among declared competitors. She won all three events at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships – the only female student-athlete to pull off a triple win at the WIAC meet.
NEW ENGLAND REGION – Stephanie McNamara – Tufts University
McNamara, a sophomore, automatically qualified in three events for the Division III Outdoor Championships. She achieved the second-fastest time in the 5000 meters (16:51.22), the third-fastest time in the 10,000 meters (35:32.79) and the fourth-fastest time in the 1500 meters (4:28.82). Her time in the 10,000 meters established a new Tufts school record and a New England Division III Championship meet record, and she will focus on that event this weekend at the NCAA Championships.
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Robin Yerkes – Roanoke College
Scheduled to compete in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and 4×100 meter relay this weekend, Yerkes has proven herself a force to be reckoned with during the 2009 outdoor season. The junior from Arnold, Md., set Roanoke records in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters this season. At the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championships, she won the 200 meters and 400 meters and ran on the winning 4×100 meter relay and 4×400 meter relay to lead Roanoke to the team title.
WEST REGION – Kimber Mattox – Willamette University
In just her first year of competition in track & field, Mattox will have a full competitive schedule at the NCAA Championships as she will compete in both the 5000 meters and the 3000 meter steeplechase. She set a new school record in the steeplechase (10:38.05) which ranks sixth in NCAA Division III headed into the outdoor championships. She was named the Northwest Conference Female Athlete of the Year after winning the 3000 meter steeplechase and the 5000 meter races.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Peter Kosgei – Hamilton College
Kosgei achieved qualifying marks in four events this season and has selected two to focus on for the NCAA Championships. His best time in the steeplechase of 8:52.87 ranks first among Division III competitors. Kosgei will also compete in the 5000 meters, in which he has a best time of 14:35.19. He was named the 2009 Sebasteanski Award winner as the NESCAC’s Most Outstanding Male Performer.
CENTRAL REGION – James Ewer – University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
Ewer, a senior from Lakeview, Minn., had a hand in 36 points at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) outdoor track & field championships to lead the Tommies to victory. Headed into nationals, Ewer is ranked in the top 20 in the 100 meter dash and runs on St. Thomas’s top ranked 4×100 meter and 4×400 meter relays.
GREAT LAKES REGION – James O’Brien – Ohio Northern University
O’Brien was the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) champion in both the 800 meters and 1500 meters and ran on the runner-up 4×400 meter relay team. His 800 meter time of 1:48.68 is the fastest in Division III this year. O’Brien also owns the fourth-fastest time among declared competitors in the 1500 meters at 3:49.90 and runs on Ohio Northern’s national qualifying 4×400 meter relay.
MIDEAST REGION – Patrick Roach – Messiah College
Roach was named the Middle Atlantic Conference’s track MVP after scoring 30.5 points at the conference meet. He placed first in the 400 and 800 meters, breaking a 27 year old record 800 meter conference record in the process, was the runner-up in the 200 meters, and was part of the winning 4×400 meter relay team. His time in the 800 meters is the second fastest time run in Division III this year and the ninth fastest time ever in Division III.
MIDWEST REGION – Willy Kaul – University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Kaul has been practically untouchable in his 2009 outdoor campaign. He leads Division III in both the 5000 meters (14:07.72) and the 10,000 meters (29:38.85), and he achieved the second fastest time of the season in the 1500 meters. He will focus on the long distance double at the NCAA Championships, competing in the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters. Kaul is a senior from Menomonee Falls, Wisc.
NEW ENGLAND REGION – Stephen Headley – Springfield College
Headley was the NEWMAC Conference champion in the 100 and 200 meters and ran on the winning 4×100 meter relay team. At the New England Division III Championships, Headley ran 10.39 to win the 100 meters, and that time is the fastest in Division III this season. He also owns the nation’s third-fastest 200 meter time. Headley was named the NEWMAC Track Athlete of the Year as well as the New England Division III Track Athlete of the Year.
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Hann Ollison – McMurry University
Ollison picked up the American Southwest Conference Men’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet after winning the 200 and 400 meter dashes and running a leg on the winning 4×100 meter relay. His times in the 200 and 400, at 20.98 and 46.59, are the fastest in NCAA Division III, and he will also run on McMurry’s national qualifying 4×100 meter and 4×400 meter relays.
WEST REGION – Emmanuel Bofa – Whitworth University
Emmanuel has the third-best mark in the 800m in NCAA Division III with a time of 1:49.93. He also ran a provisional time in the 400 meters earlier in the season with a time of 48.41. At the Northwest Conference Championships, he finished second in the 1500 meters, third in the 800 meters, and anchored the 4×400 meter relay team to a second place finish, helping the Whitworth Pirates finish second.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Monique Riddick – Montclair State University
Heading into the NCAA Championships, Riddick leads all Division III competitors in the shot put with a personal-best and school record toss of 48’ 9.5” (14.87m). Riddick won the shot put, placed third in the discus, and placed sixth in the hammer at the NJAC Outdoor Championships to earn NJAC Outstanding Female Field Athlete honors for 2009. She is a sophomore from Edison, New Jersey.
CENTRAL REGION – Lisa Brown – Gustavus Adolphus College
Brown heads into the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships with the Division’s second-best mark in the javelin, an automatic qualifying mark of 161’ (49.08m) achieved in a third-place finish at the Drake Relays. Brown won the IIAC championship in the javelin by nearly 30 feet and finished third in the shot put and fourth in the discus. She will compete in both the shot put and the javelin at this weekend’s NCAA Championships. Brown is a senior from Lake Crystal, Minn.
GREAT LAKES REGION – Sarah Reasoner – Calvin College
A sophomore from Cambridge, Minn., Reasoner won MIAA titles in both the shot put and the discus to help lead Calvin to their 20th straight outdoor team title, also earning MIAA Most Outstanding Field Event Performer honors for her efforts. Reasoner has Division III’s third-best mark in the shot put headed into the national championships at 46’ (14.02m), and she will also compete in the discus.
MIDEAST REGION – Jessie Belden – Haverford College
Belden was the Centennial Conference Co-Most Outstanding Field Performer after winning the heptathlon and long jump at the conference meet. She is the school record holder in the triple jump and heptathlon. Belden is currently ranked third in NCAA Division III in the heptathlon with 4,676 points, and she will also compete in the high jump at this weekend’s NCAA Championships. Belden is a senior from Brookfield, Conn.
MIDWEST REGION – Rachel Secrest – North Central College (Illinois)
Secrest is ranked number one in the pole vault with an all-time Division III best vault of 13′ 5.25" (4.10m). She was the CCIW outdoor champion in the pole vault and was third in the long jump with a national qualifying mark of 18’ 0.50” (5.50m). She broke the Division III women’s pole vault record earlier this year, becoming the first woman in Division III history to break the four meter barrier in the event when she cleared 4.02 meters (13’2.25").
NEW ENGLAND REGION – Nikki Hay – Springfield College
Hay, a junior from Norwalk, Conn., has automatically qualified for the Division III outdoor championships in the triple jump with a best mark of 40′ 1.25" (12.22m), and she also achieved a provisional qualifying mark in the long jump. She was the triple jump champion and the long jump runner-up at the NEWMAC Championships, and she won the ECAC triple jump. Hay is ranked second in the triple jump heading into the NCAA Championships.
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Ashley Huston – Hardin-Simmons University
A senior from Buffalo Gap, Tex., Huston will look to cap her 2009 campaign with some additional hardware at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Huston won five events and scored 52 points total to lead Hardin-Simmons at the 2009 American Southwest Conference (ASC) Championships. Heading into the NCAA Championships, she has the Division III-leading mark in the heptathlon at 5,138 points, as well as the leading mark in the high jump at 5’ 8” (1.73m), and the fourth-best mark in the long jump at 19’ 2.75” (5.86m).
WEST REGION – Taylor Hacker – Pacific Lutheran University
Early in this her senior season, Hacker threw the hammer 184′ 8" (56.29m) to shatter the Pacific Lutheran school record by more than 13 feet. Her marks in four meets this year surpassed the former record of 171′ 7". Her school record performance ranks her first in the nation in Division III outdoor track and field headed into the NCAA Championships. Hacker also successfully defended her hammer title at the 2009 Northwest Conference Championships.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Craig Van Leeuwen – Ramapo College
The 2009 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) outdoor pole vault champion, Van Leeuwen holds the nation’s fourth-best mark in the event heading into the NCAA Championships. Van Leeuwen, a freshman from Little Falls, New Jersey, proved a model of consistency in the 2009 outdoor season, hitting the NCAA provisional mark or better in each of his competitions. He heads into the championships with a school-record mark of 16’ 3.5” (4.97m) set at the ECAC Championships.
CENTRAL REGION – Eric Bertelsen – Buena Vista University
A senior from Polk City, Iowa, Bertelsen won the long jump in each meet he competed in during the outdoor season, achieving an automatic qualifying mark with his best jump of 24’ 7.25” (7.50m). That leap is also the best mark achieved in all of Division III this season, giving Bertelsen top billing in the event heading into the outdoor championships. Bertelsen scored 32.5 points at the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) outdoor championships to earn IIAC Outdoor Championships MVP honors.
GREAT LAKES REGION – Greg Patrick – Baldwin-Wallace College
Patrick won the shot put and finished second in the discus and hammer at the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) outdoor championships to earn 2009 Men’s OAC Field Athlete of the Meet honors. Heading into the NCAA Championships, Patrick has Division III’s sixth-best mark in the shot put and 12th best mark in the discus. Patrick is a junior from Collins, Ohio.
MIDEAST REGION – Brandon Fugett – Salisbury University
Salisbury throwing event specialist Fugett has been a force to be reckoned with during the 2009 outdoor track & field season. Salisbury records fell in both the shot put and the discus this season as Fugett achieved NCAA qualifying marks in both events, with a top ranking of fourth in the country in the shot put headed into the NCAA championships. Fugett is a junior from Randallstown, Md.
MIDWEST REGION – Bobby Riley – University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Riley was the conference champion in the discus, javelin, and shot put at the WIAC Outdoor Championships. His 30 points helped earn him the WIAC Field Athlete of the Meet honors and helped La Crosse win its 19th consecutive WIAC team title. His best marks of 58’ 4.75” (17.80m) in the shot put and 177’ (53.95m) in the discus are the top marks all season in NCAA Division III.
NEW ENGLAND REGION – Bryan Kolacz – Keene State College
Kolacz, a sophomore, has the best hammer throw mark in Division III. His toss of 197′ 5" (60.17m) is the only automatic qualifying mark in the event. He was the New England Open Champion and the New England Division III Champion in the hammer. Kolacz also achieved a provisional qualifying mark in the discus this season with a best mark of 154′ 9" (47.18m).
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Al Winsley – Mississippi College
Winsley, a senior, has the best high jump and triple jump marks in Division III this year with top marks of 7’ 1” (2.16m) and 51’ 3.75” (15.64m). In addition to his national leading marks, he has qualified for the national championships in the long jump (23′ 11.5"/7.23m). Winsley is a senior from Brandon, Mississippi.
WEST REGION – Josh Lovell – Linfield College
Lovell scored a personal-best 7,003 points (second-most in Linfield history) at the Northwest Conference (NWC) multi-events championships on his way to capturing the men’s decathlon title. That decathlon mark is the best in NCAA Division III headed into the NCAA Championships. He also won three other events at the NWC Championships to earn Athlete of the Meet honors.
WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACHES OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Matthew Kuenzel – St. Lawrence University
In his third year as an assistant coach at St. Lawrence, Kuenzel has guided St. Lawrence student-athletes to outstanding performances in the throwing events during the 2009 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. Kuenzel’s student-athletes collected 36 points in the throwing events at the indoor Liberty League Championships, and Alyssa Pirinelli earned All-American honors in both indoor throwing events. Outdoors, Kuenzel’s student-athletes earned a total of 59 points at the Liberty League Championships to lead St. Lawrence to a second-place team finish.
CENTRAL REGION – Kurt Nielsen – Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nielsen, a seventh-year assistant coach at Nebraska Wesleyan, has led the Prairie Wolves horizontal jumpers to three NCAA provisional qualifying marks during the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. NWU went 2-3-5 in the long jump at the Great Plains Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships and 1-4-5 in the long jump at the outdoor championships.
GREAT LAKES REGION – Tessa Sibley – Heidelberg College
Led by second-year assistant coach Sibley, Heidelberg’s sprints and jumps are looking better than ever. Sibley coached the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field champion in the 55 meters, as well as an All American in the high jump. With Sibley-coached qualifiers in the 100, 200, and high jump, Heidelberg will compete with multiple student-athletes in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the first time in program history.
MIDEAST REGION – Douglas Mason – Haverford College
As coach of the Fords’ sprints, hurdles, and jumps, Mason has had a big part in Haverford’s track & field success in 2009. Mason’s student-athletes scored 124 of the team’s 162 points to win the Centennial Conference Championship. Outdoors, the Fords again won the Centennial Championships with Mason’s crew contributing 170 points to the winning effort. Mason coached the NCAA runner-up in the inaugural women’s indoor pentathlon and coached an automatic qualifier in the outdoor heptathlon, as a well as provisional qualifiers in the 400 meter hurdles, 400 meters, and 4×400 meter relay.
MIDWEST REGION – Travis Erickson – University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Erickson, who primarily coaches the jumps, has eight student-athletes who achieved qualifying marks for the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. He coached three WIAC outdoor conference champions (long jump, triple jump and high jump) and two WIAC indoor conference champions (long jump and triple jump). At this year’s indoor nationals, Erickson’s long jumper won the national title.
NEW ENGLAND REGION – Joel Williams – Williams College
Joel Williams is in his second year at Williams where he coaches the sprinters and the sprint relays. Joel coaches Elise Johnson, achieved provisional qualifying marks in three events for the Division III Outdoor Championships. He also coached a provisional qualifier in the 200 meters and two provisionally qualifying relays.
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Shelli Sayers – Roanoke College
As coach of Roanoke’s sprints, hurdles, and relays, Sayers has played a key role in Roanoke’s 2009 track & field success. Sayers’s student-athletes won every sprint, hurdle, and relay race at the ODAC Outdoor Championships to lead Roanoke to the team title. Sayers is in her fifth year of coaching for the Maroons.
WEST REGION – Travis Olson – Linfield College
Eleventh-year assistant coach Travis Olson mentored several student-athletes to breakthrough performances in 2009. He coached the Northwest Conference champions in the high jump and pole vault as well as the NWC’s second- and third-place finishers in the javelin. Under Olson’s guidance, Catherine Street set a new school and conference-meet record in the pole vault.
MEN’S ASSISTANT COACHES OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Peter McGinnis – State University College at Cortland
Cortland assistant coach McGinnis led the Red Dragons’ pole vault crew to new heights in 2009. Two student-athletes represented Cortland at the NCAA indoor championships, and the Red Dragons recently went 1-2-4-7 at the SUNYAC outdoor championships. McGinnis’s student-athletes have broken the school record in the pole vault both indoors and outdoors this season. McGinnis is in his 20th year as pole vault coach at Cortland.
CENTRAL REGION – Tim Springfield – University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
In his 12th year at St. Thomas, assistant coach Springfield led the Tommies’ middle distance crew to new heights in 2009. Springfield-coached student-athletes broke four school records, earned three indoor track & field All-American honors, achieved seven NCAA provisional or automatic qualifying marks, and scored 93 points at the MIAC championships during the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons.
GREAT LAKES REGION – Jason Maus – Ohio Northern University
With fourth-year assistant coach Maus leading the Polar Bears’ distance squad, Ohio Northern swept the indoor and outdoor OAC championships this season. Outdoors, Maus’s student-athletes won the 800 meters, 1500 meters, 5000 meters, and 10,000 meters at the OAC Championships to lead the Polar Bears to their first-ever outdoor title. ONU distance runners have recorded three NCAA automatic or provisional marks this outdoor season under Maus’s guidance.
MIDEAST REGION – Will Elson – Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg assistant coach Elson’s student-athletes were instrumental in the Mules’ first and third place finishes at the 2009 Centennial Conference indoor and outdoor track & field championships. Indoors, Elson’s distance runners won the Distance Medley Relay, the 4×800 meter relay and the Mile and went 2-3-4 in the 800 meters to help capture the team title. The DMR team also finished 4th at NCAAs to earn All-American honors. Outdoors, Elson’s student-athletes won the conference title in the 4×800 meter relay and have achieved two NCAA provisional marks on the season.
MIDWEST REGION – Lane Lohr – Washington University (Missouri)
Lohr coaches the pole vault, hurdles, and jump and sprints while also working with the multi-event athletes. Lohr coached athletes won conference titles in the 100, 200, 400 meter dashes, the 400 meter hurdles, the long jump, the triple jump and the pole vault. In his first year as a full-time assistant Lohr helped lead the men to its first UAA team title since 2006.
NEW ENGLAND REGION – Joe Van Gilder – Springfield College
Van Gilder is responsible for coaching Springfield’s sprints and relays. This year, star pupil Stephen Headley won the New England Division 100 meter championship and the NEWMAC 100 meter championship. Headley was also the indoor national champion in the 55 meters and has Division III’s fastest time in the 100 meters. Springfield also ranks sixth in the 4×100 meter relay headed into the Championships.
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Carl Leivers – Emory University
As coach of Emory’s distance runners, Leivers has had a banner year. Indoors, Leivers’s student-athletes contributed 25 points to Emory’s UAA Championship, leading all schools in points scored in the distance events. Leivers’s student-athletes also broke the Emory records in the 5000 meters and Distance Medley Relay, and Eagle runner Tommy Fyffe achieved NCAA qualifying marks in the indoor and outdoor 5000 meters.
WEST REGION – Gary Baskett – Whitworth University
As Whitworth’s throws coach, fourth-year assistant Baskett has had a tremendous impact on Whitworth’s team success. Under Baskett, Whitworth has 11 automatic or provisional qualifying marks spread across all four throwing events. Baskett’s student-athletes scored 73 points at the Northwest Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, finishing 1-2-3 in the shot put, 3-4-5-7-8 in the javelin, 1-3 in the discus, and 3-4-5 in the hammer.
WOMEN’S HEAD COACHES OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Phil Jennings – The College of New Jersey
In his first year at the helm of the TCNJ women’s program and sixth overall with the program, Jennings led the Lions to their 17th-straights NJAC outdoor track & field title, earning TCNJ Coach of the Year honors in the process. With Jennings’s leadership, TCNJ student-athletes have achieved 14 NCAA provisional or automatic marks this season.
CENTRAL REGION – Tom Thorkelson – Gustavus Adolphus College
In his 24th year at Gustavus Adolphus and 10th as head coach, Thorkelson led the Gusties to a second-place showing at the 2009 MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships with the highest point total in school history. The Gusties also achieved nine NCAA provisional or automatic qualifying marks this season under Thorkelson’s guidance.
GREAT LAKES REGION – Derek Stanley – Marietta College
Sixth-year head coach Stanley guided Marietta College to perhaps its best outdoor season ever in 2009. The Pioneers finished 2nd at the All-Ohio Championships, their highest-ever finish, and Stanley also guided Marietta to a fifth-place showing at the OAC Championships, tying the program’s previous best finish. Marietta student-athletes also achieved NCAA provisional qualifying marks for the first time since the program was reinstated in 2002 and ten school records were broken during the 2009 campaign.
MIDEAST REGION – Dale Fogelsanger – Messiah College
Fogelsanger led Messiah to the 2009 MAC team Championship with a balanced team effort. The Falcons scored points in 19 of 21 events contested at the championships and had 17 first- or second-place event finishes to score a total of 207 points. Messiah’s student-athletes achieved one automatic qualifying mark and three provisional qualifying marks for the 2009 season.
MIDWEST REGION – Chris Schumacher – Illinois Wesleyan University
Eleventh-year head coach Schumacher led the IWU women’s team to its first-ever College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin team title this year. The Titans had conference champions in eight events en route to a team total of 227 points.
NEW ENGLAND REGION – Halston Taylor – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Under Taylor’s guidance, the Engineers won both the NEWMAC and New England Division III team championships this outdoor season. 2009 marked the first time the women’s team has won the New England Division III team championship. Taylor was named the Women’s NEWMAC Conference Coach of the Year.
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – John Curtin – Emory University
Under Curtin’s tutelage, Emory finished second at this year’s University Athletic Association outdoor track & field championships. Emory student-athletes have recorded ten NCAA provisional or automatic qualifying times this season (four in track events, six in field events), and five more provisional times in the 4×100 meter relay. Emory’s 4×100 meter relay broke the school record in the event and is ranked fourth headed into the NCAA Championships. Curtin is in his 23rd year at Emory.
WEST REGION – John Smith – George Fox University
Smith is in his third year as the head women’s track and field at his alma mater. This spring, the Bruin women finished third in the NWC, had three individual conference champions, and have five athletes who have qualified provisionally for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in seven events.
MEN’S HEAD COACHES OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Jim Nichols – Ithaca College
The 2009 Empire 8 and NYSCTC Coach of the Year, 23rd-year head coach Jim Nichols led the Ithaca College Bombers to both Empire 8 and NYSCTC Championships during the 2009 outdoor track & field season. Nichols’s student-athletes also achieved eight NCAA provisional or automatic marks during the 2009 season and broke five school records.
CENTRAL REGION – Steve Mathre – University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
Mathre, the 2009 MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year, recently led St. Thomas to its 23rd MIAC title in 27 seasons. The Tommies also achieved 17 NCAA provisional or automatic marks in 10 different events during the 2009 outdoor track & field season. Mathre is in his 14th season as St. Thomas’s head coach, and his 19th overall at the university.
GREAT LAKES REGION – Kris Boey – Ohio Wesleyan University
Under Boey’s guidance, the Battling Bishops won both the North Coast Athletic Conference and All-Ohio outdoor championships to cap an undefeated 2009 outdoor season. OWU student-athletes have attained provisional qualifying marks in five events (three track, two field) this outdoor season. Boey is in his seventh season at the helm of Ohio Wesleyan’s program.
MIDEAST REGION – Kevin Lucas – Salisbury University
In his first season as Salisbury’s head coach, Lucas led the Seagulls to new heights as they captured their first-ever Mason-Dixon Conference outdoor track & field championship. Salisbury also captured the 2009 Capital Athletic Conference outdoor championship under Lucas’s leadership, as well as achieving the program’s most-ever national qualifying performances in a season.
MIDWEST REGION – Al Carius – North Central College
In his 43rd year with the program, Carius continues to guide North Central to the top of the podium. North Central won this year’s CCIW Outdoor Championship, its 24th title in the last 25 years. Carius primarily oversees the distance events where the team has six provisional qualifying times and one automatic qualifying time.
NEW ENGLAND REGION – Brian Chabot – Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Chabot was named the NEWMAC Conference’s Men’s Coach of the Year after leading his team to a runner-up team finish. WPI followed up the second place team finish with a fourth place team finish at the New England Division III Championships (the program’s highest finish in 15 years). Chabot has student-athletes with NCAA qualifying marks in the hammer, javelin, and pole vault.
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST – Barbara Crousen – McMurry University
With tenth-year head coach Crousen at the helm, McMurry won its 11th straight ASC team title in dominating fashion. McMurry won 11 events at the ASC Championships and has 16 student-athletes with NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying marks. Crousen and McMurry will look to defend their 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship this weekend as Marietta hosts the 2009 NCAA Championships.
WEST REGION – John Goldhammer – Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges
Now in his 26th season with CMS, Goldhammer led the Stags to their 18th straight SCIAC outdoor team title. The team scored in all 19 events and won the meet by 123 points. The only field event coach at CMS, Goldhammer led the field event crew to victory in seven of the eight SCIAC field events, scoring a total of 124 points towards the team total of 233. Ten student-athletes in 12 events have earned NCAA qualifying marks for the Division III Outdoor Championships.