GVSU's Baltes Named USTFCCCA National Women's "Coach of the Year"

Release Courtesy of Tom Lewis, USTFCCCA

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Friday the National Coaches and Assistant Coaches of the Year for NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field. Abilene Christian’s Roosevelt Lofton and Grand Valley State’s Jerry Baltes was named National Men’s and Women’s Coaches of the Year, respectively. In addition, two Grand Valley State assistants were tapped as the organization’s top assistants of the year.

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NATIONAL WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR: Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State

Twelfth-year coach Baltes and the Lakers accomplished amazing feats in the 2010-2011 academic year as an NCAA outdoor team title captured the national “triple crown” of cross county/track & field. The feat is even more amazing given the fact that each of the titles in the year were the institution’s firsts, and it is the first “triple crown” to be achieved in the history of NCAA women’s athletics in any division.

GVSU, who went wire-to-wire in the national team rankings throughout the season, won their first national outdoor title by scoring 82½ points to top Lincoln’s 68. Lauren Buresh (shot put) and Liz Murphy (hammer throw) captured individual national crowns while GVSU posted 15 scorers in the national meet. GVSU also claimed their 12th-straight GLIAC title during the outdoor season with a 126-point margin of victory.

Past Winners:

2011: Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State

2010: James Reid, Angelo State

2009: James Reid, Angelo State

2008: Lucky Huber, South Dakota

2007: Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State

NATIONAL MEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Joe Lynn, Grand Valley State

In Division II, awards for assistant coach of the year are judged based on both indoor and outdoor seasons.

Assisting with the middle distance events and overseeing the long distance events, fifth-year coach Lynn had six athletes competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. At the national indoor championships, Tyler Emmorey scored a fifth-place showing nationally in the steeplechase.

Lynn’s events were responsible for earning 92 points at the indoor GLIAC Championships and 82 points at the outdoor GLIAC Championships.

2011: Joe Lynn, Grand Valley State

2010: Joe Lynn, Grand Valley State

2009: Gary Towne, Chico State

2008: Gary Towne, Chico State

2007: T.J. Crater, Central Washington

NATIONAL WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Cory Young, Grand Valley State

In Division II, awards for assistant coach of the year are judged based on both indoor and outdoor seasons.

GVSU throwers accounted for 34 of 82½ of the Lakers points at NCAA Outdoor Championships and 30 points of the 83 at the NCAA Indoor Championships. GVSU won national titles in the shot put and hammer throw outdoors and went 1-2 with the shot indoors. The fourth-year coach’s throwers scored 55 points at the outdoor GLIAC Championships.

Past Winners:

2011: Cory Young, Grand Valley State

2010: Tom Dibbern, Angelo State

2009: Tom Dibbern, Angelo State

2008: Ben Beyers, SIU Edwardsville

2007: Bob Raemore, Indiana (Pa.)