USTFCCCA Region Outdoor Awards Announced for Division II
Release Courtesy of Tom Lewis, USTFCCCA
NEW ORLEANS -- The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced winners of regional awards for the 2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season. As selected by coaches in the respective regions, sixteen female and male student-athletes earned awards as a track or field Athlete of the Year while 16 USTFCCCA members earned plaudits as a coach or assistant coach of a women's and men’s team.
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) continues to show the strength of the league by winning seven of the eight awards for the Midwest Region.
Most of the award winners will participate in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held next weekend, May 26-28, in Turlock, Calif. Cal State Stanislaus will serve as host on at their home Al Brenda Track at Warrior Stadium.
Click here for the entire women's release
Click here for the entire men's release
Below are the GLIAC winners from the Midwest Region.
Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Monica Kinney - Grand
Valley State
Kinney, a junior, capped a strong regular season with a GLIAC
championship in the 1,500 meters. Earlier in the season, she
recorded the second-fastest times in NCAA Division II in both the
1,500 meters and the 5,000 meters, and she will compete in both
events at this weekend’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Track &
Field Championships. Kinney is from Walker, Mich.
Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Sam Lockhart - Grand Valley
State
Lockhart, a sophomore from Lansing, Mich., is entered in the NCAA
Championships with top four seeds in both the shot put and discus.
In the discus, Lockhart has the nation’s second-best throw of
171-11 (52.42m) and claimed a GLIAC title in the event. With the
shot, Lockhart put to a mark of 49-10 (15.19m) and was the
conference runner-up in the event.
Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
Cory Young - Grand Valley
State
GVSU throwers accounted for 30 points of the 83 the Lakers scored
for the NCAA Indoor Championships, including a 1-2 finish in the
shot put. The fourth-year coach also had athletes go 1-2 in the
indoor shot put, and 3-4-7 in the weight throw. Recently, his
throwers scored 55 points at the outdoor GLIAC Championships and
six will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Women's Coach of the Year
Jerry Baltes - Grand Valley
State
Jerry Baltes’ GVSU Lakers claimed their 12th-straight GLIAC
title with a 126-point margin of victory. Ranked No. 1 in the
USTFCCCA National Rankings, GVSU will be competing with 26 entries
at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Men's Field Athlete of the Year
Kurt Roberts -
Ashland
Roberts, a senior from Lancaster, Ohio, went undefeated this
season with the shot put, including against Division I competition.
With a Division II-leading season best of 64-1¾ (19.55m),
Roberts ranks third among all NCAA divisions and 13th in the U.S.
in 2011.
Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
Joe Lynn - Grand Valley State
Assisting with the middle distance events and overseeing the long
distance events, this fifth-year coach has six Laker athletes
competing at the national championships, including three
steeplechasers ranked in the top 14. Lynn’s events were
responsible for earning 92 points at the indoor GLIAC Championships
and 82 points at the outdoor GLIAC Championships.
Men's Coach of the Year
Jerremy Croy - Tiffin
Croy's Dragons finished a best-ever third place at the GLIAC
Championships with 126 points, one point out of second place.
The Dragons broke seven school records during the outdoor season
and will compete with five entries at the NCAA Outdoor Championship
meet.
