Inaugural NJCAA DI Outdoor T&F Regional Award Winners Announced

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Wednesday its inaugural NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2015 season.

Winners for each region were selected based on a vote of NJCAA DI coaches.

These athletes and coaches will compete at the NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships that will be held this weekend, May 14-16, in Hutchinson, Kansas.

MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION — Robert Murphy — Vincennes

Murphy, a sophomore from Warsaw, Ind., has the division’s best time this season in the steeplechase with a school-record 8:57.59. He also is in the national top 10 in the 1500 and 5000 meters with school records and also the 800 meters.

CENTRAL REGION — Chris Speaks — Colby (Kan.) CC

A sophomore from Cold Springs, Texas, Speaks is the national-leader in the 10,000 meters with a school-record time of 30:31.83. He qualified for the national meet in four events from 1500 meters to the 10k. He won the Region VI title in four events as well.

MIDWEST REGION — Strymar Livingston — Iowa Western CC

Livingston, a sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y., won the Region XI title in the 800 meters and stands as the national leader in the event via a 1:49.52 clocking earlier in the season. He is also a member of the team’s 4×400 relay squad.

WEST REGION — Harry Mulenga – Central Arizona

A sophomore from Chililabombwe, Zambia, Mulenga is the NJCAA national leader in the 1500 meters with a season’s best of 3:44.78 (converted from 4:02.77 mile). He also has the second-fastest 5000 meters time this year in the division at 14:35.82.

WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION — TaPring Goatee — Vincennes

Goatee, a sophomore from Terre Haute, Ind., is ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA in the steeplechase (11:05.84), No. 4 in the 1500m (4:42.49), No. 24 in the 400 hurdles (1:04.82). The 1500 meters and 400 hurdle times were school records.

CENTRAL REGION — Lydia Mato – Barton County CC

The sophomore is the NJCAA national leader in the 5000 meters with a season’s best of 16:51.75. She also is ranked No. 3 nationally in the 1500 meters (4:40.88, converted from 5:03.35 mile) and No. 10 nationally in the 10,000 meters (41:56.21).

MIDWEST REGION — Hannah Palmeter – North Iowa Area CC

A sophomore from Bessemer, Mich., is the NJCAA national leader in the 1500 meters with a season’s best of 4:37.32.

WEST REGION — Chrisann Gordon – South Plains

Gordon, a sophomore from Jamaica, is bationally-ranked No. 1 in the 400 (51.73), No. 1 in the 800 (2:06.36), No. 3 in the 200 (23.35), and member of No. 1-ranked 4×400 relay team (3:35.77). She has been named the USTFCCCA NJCAA National Athlete of the Week several times this season.

MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION — Jared Kern – Lincoln (Ill.)

The sophomore ranks No. 5 nationally with season-best toss of 57-¾ (17.39m) in the shot put, captured in winning Illinois State’s Redbird Invitational.

CENTRAL REGION — Johnnie Jackson — Coffeyville CC

A sophomore from Cherry Hill, N.J., is the national leader in the hammer with a best this season of 63.56m/208-6. He won the Region VI title with a meet-record throw of 61.28m/201-0. Also ranks in the top 10 nationally in the discus with a best of 48.12m/157-10.

MIDWEST REGION — Jamal Whittaker — Iowa Central CC

A freshman from Apopka, Fla., sits second nationally in the discus and third in the shot put with season bests of 56.04m/183-10 and 17.65m/57-11, respectively. Also owns the seventh-best national mark in the hammer. Won all three of those events at the Region XI meet, setting a new discus meet record.

WEST REGION — Michael Samuels – South Plains

A sophomore from Miami, Fla., recorded the best decathlon score in the division this season of 6,749. He also has the seventh-best national marks in the high jump and triple jump leading into the NJCAA meet.

WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION — Breaisha Morton — ASA College

Morton, a freshman from Patterson, N.J., is a national championships qualifier in the triple jump (11.52/37-9½) and a qualifier in the high jump (1.70/5-7).

CENTRAL REGION — Angelica Collins — Coffeyville CC

A freshman from North Charleston, S.C., won the Region VI titles in the long jump and triple jump this season. She ranks in the national top 10 in both events, including third in the triple jump with a season’s best of 12.23m/40-1.

MIDWEST REGION — Destiny Carter — Iowa Central CC

Carter, a sophomore from Danville, Ill., won the long jump in a new region record and second-best leap in the division this season, 6.24m/20-5¾.

WEST REGION — Gleneve Grange — New Mexico JC

Grange, a sophomore from Kingston, Jamaica, is qualified for the NJCAA meet in all four throwing events, including the discus where she has the division-leading mark of 52.85m/173-4.

MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION — Lesleigh Hogg — Monroe

First-year coach Hogg has led Monroe College to the No. 1 region ranking in six of the seven ranking weeks. His program has also been ranked in the top 10 nationally for five of the six weeks of the season’s rankings. The men’s team has qualified 14 athletes that will compete in 15 events at the NJCAA meet and has managed to break seven school records for the season in the process.

CENTRAL REGION — James Ortiz — Colby (Kan.) CC

Ortiz, in his sixth year leading his group, led Colby to a second-place team finish at the Region VI meet and had an athlete earn that meet’s high-point award. The team finished the season ranked No. 3 in the region and will have 21 entries into the national meet.

MIDWEST REGION — Denny Meyers — Iowa Central CC

Meyers team won the Region XI Championships by 44 points with titles in several events.  The team will enter the NJCAA meet with 32 entries and a No. 3 national ranking. The team also finished the season with the No. 1 region ranking.

WEST REGION — Chris Beene – South Plains

Beene, in his 11th season, has the No. 1 team in the nation, heading into the NJCAA Championships with 39 entries.

WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION — Michael Smart — Essex County (N.J.)

Smart, in his 28th year at Essex, has a team ranked in the national top-15. The program will have seven entries into the NJCAA meet.

CENTRAL REGION — Ted Schmitz — Cloud County CC

Schmitz, the leader at Cloud County for the past 34 years, led his team to the KJCCC title with 245 points. The squad also placed second in the Region VI Championships this spring. The team advanced 14 entries to the national meet.

MIDWEST REGION — Denny Myers — Iowa Central CC

Myers, in his sixth year at the school, leads a team with an NJCAA-meet-high 38 entries. The team is ranked No. 2 heading into the meet. The squad won their region meet by a wide margin and have done so 10 years running.

WEST REGION — Chris Beene – South Plains

Beene’s squad is ranked No. 1 in the nation heading to the NJCAA meet where his squad has 33 entries.

MEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION — Tim Marsee — Vincennes

Coach Marsee will have three men’s pole vaulters competing at the NJCAA championships. They are ranked 3rd, 12th, and 20th on the NJCAA list. He also has the ninth-ranked decathlete in the meet.

CENTRAL REGION — Robert Wood — Coffeyville CC

Coffeeyville’s Wood had a group of throwers that scored 60 points at the Region VI meet. His team members broke the Region VI record in the hammer, won the hammer, shot and swept the  1-2-3 spots in the discus. His throwers have eight entries into the NJCAA meet.

MIDWEST REGION — Dee Brown — Iowa Central CC

The ICCC men’s distance squad scored 24 points in the 10k, 29 points in the steeplechase and then sealed the outcome of the Region XI meet with 26 more in the 5000 meters. Andrew Ronoh was a three-event winner, with wins in the 1500, 5k, and 10k, setting new Region XI record in both the 5k (14:38) and 10k (31:29). Brown is in his 11th year with the team.

WEST REGION — Blaine Wiley — South Plains

Wiley, in his ninth (and final) year with the program helped guide South Plains to a No. 1 national ranking, mentoring half of the squad — in sprints, jumps, hurdles, and relay events — that qualified for the NJCAA Championships. Wiley  recently accepted an assistant coaching position at the University of Alabama which will begin at the conclusion of the outdoor season.

WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION — Walt Smith — ASA College

First-year coach Smith helped lead the team to nine qualifies for the NJCAA meet.

CENTRAL REGION — Remuro Henry — Coffeyville CC

Henry coaches all of sprints and hurdles at Coffeyville. His group scored 112 points at the Region VI meet as they won the 100, 200, 400, 4×100, 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles. Coffeyville has 12 entries into the NJCAA meet in the sprints and hurdles.

MIDWEST REGION — Nigel Bigbe — Iowa Central CC

Coach Bigbe’s group scored 106 points among seven events at the Region XI Championships, leading ICCC to victory. His athletes set new region records in the 100 hurdles and the long jump.

WEST REGION — Blaine Wiley — South Plains

Wiley, in his ninth (and final) year with the program helped guide South Plains to a No. 1 national ranking, mentoring half of the squad — in sprints, jumps, hurdles, and relay events — that qualified for the NJCAA Championships. Wiley  recently accepted an assistant coaching position at the University of Alabama which will begin at the conclusion of the outdoor season.