GLIAC Student-Athletes Sweep the Midwest Region Athlete of the Year Awards

Release Courtsey of Tom Lewis:  U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Communications Manager

Click here to view the release on the USTFCCCA website

NEW ORLEANS – On Friday, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the Region Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the NCAA Division II indoor track & field 2011 season. Several of the athletes and coaches named will be on hand for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships set for this weekend, March 11-12, in Albuquerque, N.M.

Men's Track Athlete of the Year:

MIDWEST REGION - Tom Scott - Ashland
Scott scored 15 team points at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, winning the 800 meters and running on the champion distance medley and 4x400-meter relays to earn GLIAC Track Athlete of the Year honors. His top 800-meter time of 1:51.18 ranks fifth in NCAA Division II. Scott is a junior from Lima, Ohio.

Men's Field Athlete of the Year:

MIDWEST REGION - Ryan Loughney - Ashland
Loughney, a junior from Grahamsville, N.Y., boasts the fourth-longest weight throw mark among all divisions of the NCAA with his season best of 71-4 (21.74m). The mark makes him second on the Division II performer’s list this season, trailing only Central Missouri’s Drew Frizzell by five inches. Loughney was named GLIAC Male Field Event Athlete of the Year after his conference-winning performance of 69-9¾ (21.28m) with the weight.

Women's Track Athlete of the Year:

MIDWEST REGION - Monica Kinney - Grand Valley State
Kinney, who owns the top time in NCAA Division II in the mile at 4:43.64, clearly has range. She also posted top-ten ranked marks in the 800 meters and the 5000 meters, as well as helping Grand Valley State achieve a second-ranked performance in the distance medley relay. A junior from Walker, Mich., she earned 2011 GLIAC titles in the 3,000 meters and distance medley relay and finished second in the 800 meters.

Women's Field Athlete of the Year:

MIDWEST REGION - Abby Kacsandi – Ashland
The senior from Wooster, Ohio., Kacsandi is also one of the six women entered in three individual events at the NCAA Championships. Along with a possible DMR slot, Kacsandi is entered in the high jump (second seed, 5-10, 1.78m), shot put (13th seed, 46-4, 14.12m), and pentathlon (second seed, 3,819). Kacsandi was the GLIAC Field Athlete of the Year as a result of winning the heptathlon and high jump conference titles, plus adding seconds in the triple jump and as a member of the DMR as well.

Women's Head Coach of the Year:

MIDWEST REGION - Jerry Baltes - Grand Valley State
Jerry Baltes led the Grand Valley State Lakers to the GLIAC Championship with meet record 238 points, more than doubling the total of the second-place team. The Lakers will be represented in 19 events at the NCAA Indoor Championship meet. GVSU has been the No.1-ranked team throughout the entire season due in large part to their dominating distance crew led by Monica Kenny who ranks first in the mile (4:43.64) and fourth in the 5K (16:26).