USTFCCCA NCAA DII Program of the Year – 2023 Final Update

NEW ORLEANS – Royalty found familiar positions.

Grand Valley State’s men and Adams State’s women were named the Damon Martin Men’s Program of the Year and the Jerry Baltes Women’s Program of the Year, respectively, for the 2022-23 academic year. The Laker men claimed its fourth consecutive honor, while the Grizzlies women captured the program’s fourth award overall.

This is the third year when both Grand Valley State has won the award named for the Adams State coach (Martin) and ASU has won the award named for the GVSU coach (Baltes). The other occurrences came in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

The USTFCCCA Program of the Year Award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution’s finish at the NCAA Championships.

In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships. Scoring is based on the team’s finish at each NCAA Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points … 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award winner. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.

Men’s Story

Grand Valley State reached the podium in all three sports to capture the Damon Martin Men’s Program of the Year award with five POY points. The Lakers had a third-place finish indoors sandwiched between fourth-places in cross country and outdoor. This is GVSU’s fourth-straight honor after winning last year and in 2018 and 2019 (no award was given in 2020 and 2021). 

Missouri Southern finished second with 19.5 POY points, recording its highest-ever finish. After a ninth-place finish in cross country, the Lions tied for fourth indoors and fifth outdoors. MSSU’s previous high in POY compilation was third in 2017.

Pittsburg State and West Texas A&M tied for third with 22 POY points. The Gorillas were 20th in cross country before sweeping the indoor and outdoor titles for a second-straight top-3 POY finish. The Buffaloes rose to POY top-3 territory for the first time, highlighted by a runner-up outdoor finish after placing 15^th in cross country and tying for fourth indoors.

Colorado School of Mines ended up in fifth with 27 POY points. The Orediggers were national champions in cross country and finished 14^th indoors and 12^th outdoors. This is a second-straight Colorado School of Mines top-5 finish as the Orediggers were fourth last year.

Women’s Story

Adams State won two national titles en route to earning the Jerry Baltes Women’s Program of the Year award with just eight POY points. The Grizzlies claimed top honors in cross country and indoors and added a sixth-place finish outdoors. This is ASU’s fourth Program of the Year award and first since 2019.

Grand Valley State – last year’s winner – followed in second with 13 POY points. The Lakers were the only program besides Adams State to accumulate three top-10 finishes, earning second in cross country, sixth indoors and fifth outdoors. GVSU has been first or second in the women’s POY standings every year since 2009.

West Texas A&M matched its program high and repeated in third with 19 POY points. The Lady Buffs got better throughout each season, first placing 13th in cross country before landing on the podium indoors and outdoors, both with third-place finishes.

Tying for fourth were two programs from the North Star State as Minnesota State and Winona State – separated by about 100 miles – were just one point away from third with matching totals of 20 POY points. The Mavericks were 16^th in cross country before finishing runner-up indoors and outdoors. The Warriors were 11^th in cross country and followed with top-5 finishes indoors (fifth) and outdoors (fourth). It was a top-5 POY debut for both programs.