2016 NCAA DII Indoor National Coaches of the Year Announced

NEW ORLEANS – Following the 2016 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships this past weekend in Pittsburg, Kansas, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Wednesday this season’s National Coaches of the Year, as voted on by the coaches.

National championship-winning head coaches Jeremy Croy of Tiffin and Victor Thomas of Lincoln (Mo.) were named the Men’s and Women’s Coaches of the Year, respectively. Tiffin’s Gray Horn and Hillsdale’s Joe Lynn were voted Men’s and Women’s Assistant Coaches of the Year, respectively.

Croy, in his 16^th season guiding the Tiffin program, coached his Dragons to the program’s first NCAA national team title in any sport. A clutch runner-up effort by the 4×400 relay – which entered the meet seeded 13th out of 13 teams – giving them a walk-off victory over 2015 national champion Adams State, 49-47.

He got a national title at 200 meters from Lamar Hargrove, who also finished runner-up at 60 meters and ran a leg of that fateful 4×400. Distance runner James Ngandu pitched in with a runner-up 3000-meter finish and a fifth-place effort at 5000 meters, while Dylan Cornwell was fourth in the pole vault and Reginald Thomas finished fifth behind Hargrove over 60 meters.

During the regular season, his men were runners-up at the GLIAC Championships.

Thomas, in his 14^th season leading the Lincoln (Mo.) program, guided his Blue Tigers to their first national title since 2010 with a narrow, 60-58, victory over Hillsdale that required a meet-record effort in the 4×400 relay to guarantee sole possession of the national trophy.

Lincoln won a trio of national titles this season under his watch, as Yanique Ellington (200 meters), Chrisdale McCarthy (60 hurdles) and the 4×400 relay all walked away with 10 points apiece. Ellington was also third at 60 meters, and she led a 1-2 finish at 200 meters with Venicha Baker. Baker was also fifth at 400 meters. Ladonna Richards was third in the 60-meter hurdles behind McCarthy.

During the regular season, Lincoln won the MIAA title over Pittsburg State, 169-147, at Pittsburg State.

Horn, in his second year coaching sprints and combined events for the Dragons, had a significant impact on Tiffin’s title run. Between high-point scorer Lamar Hargrove, the title-clinching 4×400 relay and Reginald Thomas, his athletes scored 30 points of Tiffin’s winning 49. Hargrove twice set NCAA Division II all-time records at 200 meters, including a 20.81 to win the national title.

At the GLIAC Championships, his men scored a combined 76 points.

Lynn, in his second year coaching distance runners at Hillsdale, led his endurance runners to 54 points – all but four of the Chargers’ runner-up 58-point haul. He guided Emily Oren to a sweep of the mile and 3000 titles, and she also ran a leg of the winning DMR. Joining Oren at 3000 meters were runner-up Kristina Galat and fourth-place Hannah McIntyre. Those two teamed up again at 5000 meters as McIntyre was third and Galat finished fourth.

At the GLIAC Championships, his runners won conference titles in the mile, at 3000 meters and in the distance medley relay, with a runner-up finish at 5000 meters. Oren led a 1-2-3 Chargers sweep at 3000 meters.