Award History
NCAA DIII ITF National Awards2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field National Awards
NEW ORLEANS — National Athletes and Coaches of the Year, presented by Pro Form Sports, for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season will be announced throughout the week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) following a two-tiered voting process.
Member coaches pared down a list of candidates to three finalists in each category last week: National Track Athletes of the Year, National Field Athletes of the Year as well as National Coaches of the Year and National Assistant Coaches of the Year.
National Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Matthew Wilkinson of Carleton was named the National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This is the first time that an athlete from Carleton has earned this honor in award history.
Wilkinson’s name dotted the top of the NCAA Division III Descending Order List throughout the season. The senior from Greenwood, Minnesota, was ranked first nationally in both the 3000 (8:11.52) and 5000 (14:22.34) and slotted in at third nationally in the mile (4:08.55). His seasonal best in the 3000 made him the No. 9 performer on the NCAA DIII all-time chart. Wilkinson took home MIAC Men’s Outstanding Track Athlete of the Year honors after winning the 3000, 5000 and anchoring the winning DMR.
National Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Parley Hannan of Ithaca was named the National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Hannan is the second athlete from Ithaca to be named National Athlete of the Year since 2018 (Katherine Pitman was named National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year two years ago).
There was very little doubt as to why Hannan received this honor. Not only did the senior from Orlean, Virgina, lead the nation in three individual events (mile, 3000, 5000) and anchor a top-ranked relay team (DMR), but she crushed the NCAA DIII record in the 5000 with her time of 16:05.36. Hannan also added an all-time top-15 mark in the 3000 (No. 11, 9:34.22).
National Men's Field Athlete of the Year
Dylan Cooper of UW-Eau Claire was named the National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This is the second year in a row that an athlete from UW-Eau Claire brought home this honor (David Kornack, 2019).
Cooper, a senior from Holman, Wisconsin, made headlines on February 28 when he tied the NCAA DIII record in the heptathlon at the WIAC Indoor Championships. He put up 5441 points, which matched the divisional best set by Will Daniels of Central (Iowa) just one year ago. Earlier in the season, Cooper scored 5345 points at the Warren Bowlus Invitational, which now stands as the 13th best all-time total.
National Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Laura Darcey of UChicago was named the National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This marks the first time in award history that an athlete from UChicago has earned this honor.
Darcey, a senior from Teddington, England, starred in the pentathlon, where she became the third best performer with the fourth best performance in NCAA DIII history with her 3794-point total at the Windy City Rumble. That was the best score turned in by an NCAA DIII athlete since 2014 when Amelia Campbell and Jessika Smith rewrote the record book.
In addition to her outstanding performance in the multi, Darcey was also ranked in the top-10 nationally in high jump (No. 3, 1.74m/5-8½) and long jump (No. 7, 5.77m/18-11¼).
National Men's Coach of the Year
Justin Kinseth of UW-Oshkosh was named the National Men’s Coach of the Year for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This is the third national honor for Kinseth, who just wrapped up his third year with the Titans. He was named National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year twice while at Benedictine (Ill.).
UW-Oshkosh positioned itself for a strong run at the national title under Kinseth’s direction. The Titans were scheduled to have a gender-high 16 entries into the NCAA meet, including a staggering seven in the jumps alone.
When the regular season ended, UW-Oshkosh athletes ranked among the top-10 nationally in eight different events – ranging from the 60 to the shot put – with a national leader in the triple jump (Jonathan Wilburn). The Titans also had the top quartet in the final USTFCCCA #EventSquad Rankings in three different events – 60, triple jump and shot put.
National Women's Coach of the Year
Jennifer Potter of Ithaca was named the National Women’s Coach of the Year for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This is the first national honor for Potter, who just wrapped up her 17th year with the Bombers.
Potter had Ithaca on the precipice of something spectacular based on what the team showed throughout the regular season en route to team titles at the Liberty League Indoor Championships and at the AARTFC Indoor Championships. The Bombers saw four women combine for seven top-5 national marks, including three national-leading performances by Parley Hannan in the mile, 3000 and in the 5000, where she shattered the NCAA DIII record.
Ithaca entered the NCAA Indoor Championships with 11 entries, which was the fourth-most among women’s teams. The Bombers spread those out between the sprints/hurdles (four), distance (two), jumps (two), combined events (one), mid-distance (one) and relays (one).
National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
Sarah Glidden of UW-Eau Claire was named the National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This is the first national honor for Glidden, who just wrapped up her second year with the Blugolds. She is the second woman in the history of the USTFCCCA National Award Program to earn an NCAA DIII honor for coaching men and the first to do so indoors (USTFCCCA Hall of Famer Barbara Crousen of McMurry received National Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year distinction in 2012).
Glidden’s heptathletes stole the show in 2020 as they owned the top-3 spots on the Descending Order List and each scored more than 5100 points: Dylan Cooper (1st, 5441), Abrahm Schroedl (2nd, 5183), Marcus Weaver (3rd, 5157). Cooper’s PR at the WIAC Indoor Championships tied the NCAA DIII record in the event, while Schroedl and Weaver also rank in the all-time top-20.
National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
Justin McQuality of Chicago was named the National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
This is the first national honor for McQuality, who just wrapped up his second year with the Maroons.
McQuality-coached athletes left their mark throughout the season, both on the Descending Order List and in the divisional record book. By the time the season ended, McQuality helped athletes to NCAA DIII-leading marks in the long jump, triple jump and pentathlon, as well as top-10 marks in the high jump (No. 3) and long jump (No. 7). Laura Darcey and Isabel Maletich etched their names into the NCAA DIII record book as the No. 3 performer in the pentathlon and No. 5 performer in the triple jump, respectively.
His athletes stole the show at the UAA Indoor Championships as they scored 58 of UChicago’s 161.33 points with 23 of them coming in the long jump alone (1-2-4). The Maroons also won event titles in the high jump and triple jump.