Regional Awards Announced for NJCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field

NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2016 NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season were announced Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Each of the three regions – Central, East and Northeast – honored both genders’ top track athletes and field athletes, and the top men’s and women’s head coaches and assistant coaches.

Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.

Many of the honored athletes and coaches will be in competition at the NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships set for this weekend, May 7-8, in Westfield, Massachusetts.

The championships will be streamed live on Flotrack PRO.

Men’s Track Athlete of the Year

CENTRAL REGION – Adam Brauer — Harper
Brauer, a sophomore from Palatine, Illinois, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 among NJCAA DIII men at 10,000 meters in 34:02.90. He was also No. 2 in both the steeplechase and at 5000 meters in 10:34.02 and 16:27.16, respectively.

EAST REGION – Joel Thomas — Prince George’s CC
Thomas, a sophomore from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is the nation’s top-ranked NJCAA DIII sprinter at both 100 and 200 meters. He has run 10.68 for 100 meters and 21.46 for 200 meters.

NORTHEAST REGION – Malik John — Kingsborough CC
John, a freshman from Brooklyn, New York, is ranked No. 3 nationally in NJCAA DIII at 200 meters in 21.84, and is No. 4 at 100 meters (10.89) and No. 5 at 400 meters (50.14). He leads all Northeast Region athletes in the 100 and 200, and is No. 2 at 400 meters in the region.

Women’s Track Athlete of the Year

CENTRAL REGION – Ali Gutt — Harper
Gutt, a freshman from Schaumburg, Illinois, is ranked No. 1 nationally in the 1500 (4:52.41) and 800 (2:18.09). She has also been a key cog to Harper’s 4×400 relay team.

EAST REGION – Iyanah Hawley — Union CC
Hawley, a sophomore from Elizabeth, New Jersey is the national leader in the 100 hurdles (14.63) and 400 hurdles (1:05.47).

NORTHEAST REGION – Thea General — Kingsborough CC
General, a freshman from Rosedale, New York is the national leader in the 400 (57.67) and ranked No. 2 at 200 meters (25.74). She is also ranked No. 11 in the 800 (2:31.31).

Men’s Field Athlete of the Year

CENTRAL REGION – Laith Kanan — Harper
Kanan, a sophomore from Palatine, Illinois, is ranked No. 1 nationally in NJCAA DIII in the hammer throw and No. 3 nationally both in the shot put and discus. He leads the hammer by 18 feet at 49.57m (162-7), and posted marks of 13.83m (45-4½) in the shot put and 38.70m (127-0) in the discus.

EAST REGION – Garrett Pynn, Bergen CC
Pynn, a sophomore from Edgewater, New Jersey, is ranked No. 1 nationally in both the shot put (14.77m/48-5 ½) and discus (40.08m/131-6).

NORTHEAST REGION – Connor Langdon — Suffolk County CC
Langdon, a freshman from Manorville, New York, is currently ranked No. 1 in the high jump in NJCAA Division III (6-8, 2.03m) and recently scored 5904 points in the decathlon at Penn Relays. He set two meet records this season in the high jump.

Women’s Field Athlete of the Year

CENTRAL REGION – Leah Kloss — Harper
Kloss, a sophomore from Grayslake, Illinois, has put together quite season. She is ranked No. 1 nationally in the hammer (national leader by 21 feet), No. 2 in the javelin (27.41m/89-11), No. 3 in the discus and No. 5 in the shot put.

EAST REGION – Bryeana Rhodes — Montgomery-Rockville CC
Rhodes, a sophomore from Killeen, Texas, is ranked No. 1 nationally in the high jump (1.68m/5-6) and is second in the long jump (5.30m/17-4¾).

NORTHEAST REGION – Ebonie Lewis — Suffolk County CC
Lewis, a sophomore from Holtsville, New York, has qualified for the NJCAA Championships in three events and is the national leader in the long jump (5.44m/17-10¼) and sits in second in the shot put (10.54m/34-7).

Men’s Coach of the Year

CENTRAL REGION – Renee Zellner — Harper
Harper, in her 36th year guiding the Harper program, has her men ranked No. 3 in the latest USTFCCCA NJCAA DIII National Team Rankings The Hawks are the top-ranked team in the Central Region.

EAST REGION – Ryan Hughes — Rowan-Gloucester CC
Hughes, in his 13th season helming the Roadrunners’ program, has his team ranked No. 1 in USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings and No. 1 in the East Region.

NORTHEAST REGION – Matthew French — Suffolk County CC
Suffolk County CC is ranked No. 1 in the USTFCCCA National Team Rankings under the guidance of fourth-year head coach French, and is atop the USTFCCCA Northeast Regional Index. His team has 27 performers ranked top-10 in the nation.

Women’s Coach of the Year

CENTRAL REGION – Renee Zellner — Harper
Zellner, in her 36th year with the Hawks, has several nationally-ranked athletes including three with No. 1 marks (800, 1500 and hammer throw). Harper is currently ranked No. 2 in the National Team Computer Rankings and is the No. 1 team in the Central Region.

EAST REGION – Ryan Hughes — Rowan-Gloucester CC
Hughes, in his 13th year with the program, has his team firing on all cylinders. The Roadrunners are ranked No. 3 in the National Team Computer Rankings and 13 of the 14 athletes on the team qualified for the NJCAA Championships.

NORTHEAST REGION – Matthew French — Suffolk County CC
French, in his eighth year with the program, has the top-ranked women’s team in the nation. His athletes hit 18 qualifying marks for the NJCAA Championships.

Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year

CENTRAL REGION – Dan Lowry — Harper
Lowry, in his first season coaching throwers at Harper, guided Laith Kanan to the national No. 1 rank in the hammer throw and No. 3 ranks in both the discus and shot put among NJCAA DIII throwers. He has three top-10 shot putters, three top-10 discus throwers and three top-10 hammer throwers.

EAST REGION – Joe Kalnas — Rowan Gloucester CC
Kalnas, in his ninth year as the throws coach for the Roadrunners, is the assistant on a team that is ranked No. 1 nationally. He has nine athletes ranked in the top-10 nationally when it comes to throws.

NORTHEAST REGION – Kenneth Ruddick — Suffolk County CC
Ruddick, who coaches the Sharks’ sprinters and hurdlers, coached Chidiebere Chimezie to the national NJCAA DIII lead in the 400-meter hurdles, and has guided his Suffolk County CC men to the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 spots on the NJCAA DIII 110-meter hurdles list. He has also guided Kaashief Morgan to No. 5 at 200 meters and No. 6 at 100 meters.

Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year

CENTRAL REGION – Jim Macnider — Harper
Macnider, who coaches the Hawks’ distance runners, has guided the top-ranked athlete in the nation at 800 meters and 1500 meters (Ali Gutt) and two athletes inside the top-4 of the 10,000 meters (Leslie Rosiles and Katie Thevara).

EAST REGION – Mark Getsinger — Rowan-Gloucester CC
Getsinger, in his second year with the Roadrunners, coaches sprints, hurdles and jumps and has seen athletes hit six qualifying marks. RGCC has the second and third-ranked athletes in the 400-meter hurdles and the second-ranked triple jumper.

NORTHEAST REGION – Lauren Biscardi — Suffolk County CC
Biscardi, in her fifth year as the jumps and multis coach with the Sharks, has guided the top-ranked long jumper and those who are ranked No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 in the pole vault. In total, her athletes hit eight qualifying marks for the NJCAA Championships.