DIII Region Award Winners Announced for Outdoor Track & Field

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Friday region award winners for the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season as voted by the region-specific coaches. Most of the athletes and coaches will participate in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships next weekend, Thursday-Saturday, May 24-26 in Claremont, Calif. NCAA.com will provide live coverage of the championships.

Fields for the national championships will be announced by Sunday, May 20 at 9 a.m., eastern. Watch for the fields to be announced here …
http://www.deltatiming.com/events/2012/2012-ncaa-division-3-outdoor-championships/

Men’s Track Athlete of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Sean Bernstein – SUNY Oneonta
Bernstein earned State University of New York Athletic Conference Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors after winning three events at the SUNYAC Championships. He is currently ranked third in the 200 Meters at 21.16, eighth in the 100 Meters, and ninth as a member of the Red Dragons’ 4×400 Relay. He also won the ECAC DIII title at 200 meters. Bernstein is a junior from Baldwinsville, N.Y.

CENTRAL REGION – Mike Hutton – St. Thomas (Minn.)
Hutton, a senior from Apple Valley, Minn., currently ranks second in NCAA Division III in the 800 Meters at 1:49.45 and has a top-twenty national ranking in the 400 Meters. He helped lead St. Thomas to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship with wins in the 800 Meters and as a member of the Tommies’ 4×400 Relay and 4×800 Relay.

GREAT LAKES REGION – Jake Waterman – Wabash
The junior from Noblesville, Ind. is the top-ranked competitor in the 800 Meters in NCAA Division III with a season-best time of 1:48.65. He also runs on Wabash’s fourth-ranked 4×400 Relay. Earlier this season, Waterman won the North Coast Athletic Conference championship in the 800 Meters.

MIDEAST REGION – Jordan Schilit – Haverford
Schilit won Centennial Conference championships in the 1500 Meters, 5000 Meters, and 10,000 Meters to earn Track Athlete of the Meet honors. He ranks second in NCAA Division III in the 5000 Meters and sixth in the 10,000 Meters. Schilit is a junior from Tampa, Florida.

MIDWEST REGION – Tim Nelson – UW-Stout
Nelson, a senior, entered the NCAA Division III record books this season with the third-fastest time in history in the 5000 Meters at 13:57.02. That time is also the fastest recorded by any Division III athlete this season in the event. Nelson won Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in both the 5000 Meters and 10,000 Meters, and his season-best time in the 10,000 Meters ranks third nationally. Nelson is from Augusta, Wis.

NEW ENGLAND REGION – Chris Brown – Brandeis
The senior from North Chelmsford, Mass. ran the sixth-fastest 1500 Meters in NCAA Division III history this season, a time of 3:43.39. He leads the national list in the 1500 Meters and also has a top-ten ranking in the 800 Meters. Brown won University Athletic Association championships in both the 800 Meters and the 1500 Meters this season.

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Kevin Cunningham – McMurry
Cunningham has the fastest times recorded this season in both the 400 Meters and 400 Hurdles. The senior from Brownwood, Texas also runs on McMurry’s eighth-ranked 4×400 Relay and has a top-twenty national ranking in the 200 Meters.

WEST REGION – Marcus Fortugno – La Verne
Fortugno won a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship in the 400 Meters and as a member of La Verne’s 4×400 Relay and finished second as a member of the 4×100 Relay. His time of 47.39 in the 400 Meters ranks second in NCAA Division III this season. Fortugno is a senior from Glendora, Calif.

Men’s Field Athlete of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – William Razzano – SUNY Cortland
A senior from Manorville, N.Y., Razzano was the SUNYAC Champion in the triple jump and placed fifth in the long jump in notching 14 points for his team at the league meet. In the triple jump, he ranks among the division’s top 15 and he has leaped 46 feet or more in every meet this season.

CENTRAL REGION – Ethan Miller – Central (Iowa)
The division’s leader in the decathlon with 7,076 points, Miller, a senior from Seymour, Iowa, was named the Field MVP of the IIAC Championships. In the conference meet, Miller won the triple jump, placed second in the long jump, and third in the high jump.

GREAT LAKES REGION – Tom Postema – Defiance
A junior from Defiance, Ohio, Postema was named the HCAC Field Athlete of the Year as he won the league’s championship in both the hammer and discus along with taking runner-up honors in the shot put. He claimed a new HCAC record with the discus with a toss of 180-4 (54.96m) and was the hammer throw champ at the All-Ohio Championships.

MIDEAST REGION – Gary Zack – Moravian
Zack, a senior from Mountain Top, Pa., ranks eighth on the all-time Division III performers list as a result of a season best in the javelin of 226-6 (69.05m), thrown in winning the Coach P Invitational event at home. He is the top-ranked javelin thrower in the division this season.

MIDWEST REGION – Nick Baatz – UW-Oshkosh
A junior from Brownsville, Wis., Baatz is the WIAC Champion of the shot put and discus. He owns season bests with the shot put of 59-2 (18.03m) and discus of 182-2 (55.53m) that ranks second nationally within the division. He also owns a national top-25 ranking in the hammer throw.

NEW ENGLAND REGION – David Pless – Bates
Pless, a junior from Atlanta, Ga., swept the shot put, discus, and hammer at the State of Maine Championships, the NESCAC Championships, and New England DIII Championships. His three-event sweep and meet records in the hammer and shot helped Bates to the NESCAC team title where he was awarded the Sabstiaentski Award for Field Event Excellence. He ranks among the nation’s top five in all three events as well.

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Richard Roethel – Christopher Newport
A junior from Farmingdale, N.Y., Roethel is the divisional leader in the decathlon as result of scoring 6,971 points in taking runner-up honors at the Penn Relays. He was named the Mason-Dixon Conference Field Athlete of the Year after claiming league titles in the decathlon and javelin along with placing third in the long jump.

WEST REGION – Carter Comito – Whitworth
Comito, a junior from Spokane, Wash., leads the DIII ranks in the discus and is the nation’s top ten in the shot put. He won Northwest Conference crowns in the discus and shot put and was named as the league’s Athlete of the Year.

Men’s Head Coach of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Steve Patrick – SUNY Cortland
Patrick was named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year after the Red Dragons won the team Championships by 25 points. The fifth-year coach has six individuals and one relay in position to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

CENTRAL REGION – Joe Dunham – Central (Iowa)
The top ranked team in the region recently won the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships by 33 points. In his fourth year with the Dutch, the distance-middle distance coach has nine athletes ranked among the top-20 in their event and the team is currently ranked ninth in the nation.  

GREAT LAKES REGION – Clyde Morgan – Wabash
Wabash broke their own meet record with 314½ points to win the NCAC Championships. The Little Giants tallied eight individual or relay conference titles, produced 32 All-Conference honors, and placed 55 athletes in the top-eight spots during the competition. The NCAC coach of the year currently has his team ninth in the national rankings.

MIDEAST REGION – Tom Donnelly – Haverford
In his 37th season, Donnelly has athletes ranked among the top-20 in each of the distance events, garnering the top spot in the region and currently the twelfth spot in the national rankings.

MIDWEST REGION – Josh Buchholtz – UW-La Crosse
The Eagles won the WIAC Championships with 163 points courtesy of three conference champions and Buchholtz was consequently named WIAC Coach of the Year. The fourth year coach has his team currently ranked third in the region and second in the nation.

NEW ENGLAND REGION – Halston Taylor – MIT
The Engineers won both the New England DIII Championship and NEWMAC Championships. In his 21st year at the helm, Taylor’s team is ranked first in New England Region.

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Barbara Crousen – McMurry
Crousen has the WarHawks atop the national rankings after winning the American Southwest Conference Championships. In her 14th year coaching at McMurry, she has as many athletes in line for qualification to the NCAA Championships.

WEST REGION – Toby Schwarz – Whitworth
Whitworth scored 270 points in winning the Northwest Conference Championships. The Pirates are currently ranked 16th in the nation with six athletes among the top-20 in the nation in five events, with a 4×100 meter relay and three other individuals in the top-35.

Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Norm Tate – Rowan
The sprints and hurdles coach led a 200-meter athlete to New Jersey Athletic Conference Track Performer of the Year honors in his fourth year working with the Owls. Rowan currently sits 24th in the national team rankings.

CENTRAL REGION – Dave Sage – Wartburg College
Sage has developed one of the top long jumpers in Division III history to a mark of 25-3½. Wartburg jumpers scored 69 points at the IIAC Championships with victories in the pole vault, long jump and high jump and nine additional scoring Knights in the jumps events.

GREAT LAKES REGION – Brian Diemer – Calvin
The distance coach for the Knights has nine top-25 marks. At the MIAA Championships, his athletes won the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and Steeplechase and finished runner-up in the 1500, 5000 and 10,000 to score 88 of the team’s 170 points. Calvin currently sits 13th in the national team rankings.

MIDEAST REGION – Robert Luciano – Moravian
The javelin coach currently has Greyhound athletes ranked first, 15th and 21st in the event, including one gentleman who is eighth on the All Time Division III javelin list. Moravian recently won the Landmark Conference Championships.

MIDWEST REGION – Tim Winder – North Central (Ill.)
The Cardinals currently have five vaulters ranked among the nation’s top 13. In his 19th year with North Central, Winder saw his vaulters sweep first thru fifth at the CCIW Championships to help the team win the title.

NEW ENGLAND REGION – Nicole Wilkerson – Middlebury
At the NESCAC Championships, Panthers went 1-4 in the 5,000 meters, first in the 10,000 meters, and first in the steeplechase. In NCAA rankings, the tenth-year coach has athletes sitting first in the steeplechase, first in the 10,000 meters, sixth in the 5,000 meters, and 18th in the 1500 meters.

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Matthew Barreau – Christopher Newport
In his first year coaching the distance squad, Barreau saw his athletes score 61 of the team’s 162 points at the Mason-Dixon Championships. All but eight of those distance points were freshmen or sophomores.

WEST REGION – Travis Howell – Whitworth University
Howell’s sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers scored 150 of 270 team points and had six title winners at the Northwest Conference Championships. The Pirates currently sit 16th in the national rankings and have six athletes in five events among the top 20 in nation. Howell is in his seventh year with the squad.

Women’s Track Athlete of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Heather Gearity – Montclair State
Gearity became the ninth-fastest 400-hurdler in NCAA Division III history this season with her season-best time of 59.73. She earned New Jersey Athletic Conference Most Outstanding Overall Athlete of the Year honors after winning the conference title in the 400 Hurdles and as a member of Montclair State’s 4×400 Relay and finishing second in the 100 Hurdles. Gearity is a sophomore from Rutherford, N.J.

CENTRAL REGION – Nevada Morrison – Wartburg
Morrison earned the number seven spot on the all-time Division III record books in the 200 Meters with her top time of 23.84. She also has the fastest time in the country this season in the 400 Meters, as well as the third-fastest time in the 800 Meters. The senior from Maywood, Ill. earned Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Athlete of the Year honors after winning conference titles in the 200 Meters, 800 Meters, and as a member of Wartburg’s 4×100 Relay.

GREAT LAKES REGION – Mary Mahoney – Mount Union
Mahoney earned Ohio Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Year honors after winning conference titles in the 200 Meters, 400 Meters, and as a member of Mount Union’s 4×100 Relay and 4×100 Relay, as well as finishing seventh in the 100 Meters. The junior from Ashtabula, Ohio has top-six national rankings in the 200 Meters, 400 Meters, and as a member of the school’s 4×400 Relay.

MIDEAST REGION – Sheena Crawley – Franklin & Marshall
Crawley broke three school records this season and won a Centennial Conference title in the 1500 Meters. Her top time in that event ranks fifth, and she also has a top-ten national ranking in the 800 Meters. Crawley is a junior from Coatesville, Pa.

MIDWEST REGION – Christy Cazzola – UW-Oshkosh
Cazzola, a junior from Kaukauna, Wis., won the 800 Meters and 1500 Meters at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. She ranks second in the country in the 800 Meters with a top time of 2:07.44 and third in the 5000 Meters with a time of 16:32.26.

NEW ENGLAND REGION – Margo Cramer – Middlebury
The senior from Seattle, Wash. recorded the fourth-fastest time in NCAA Division III history in the 1500 Meters this season at 4:21.45. She also has the second-fastest time of the season in the 3000 Steeplechase. Cramer won both events at the 2012 New England Small College Athletic Conference Championships.

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Tiarra Goode – Birmingham-Southern
Goode has top-five national rankings in the 100 Meters, 200 Meters, and 100 Hurdles. She won all three events at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships and also anchored the Lady Panthers’ 4×400 Relay to a second-place finish, to earn 32 team points. Goode is a sophomore from Huntsville, Ala.

WEST REGION – Kelly Garton – Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Garton broke a 25-year-old school record in the 1500 Meters this season with a time of 4:29.26. That time is also the seventh-fastest by an NCAA Division III athlete this season. At the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, she helped lead CMS to a team title with a win in the 800 Meters and a runner-up finish in the 1500 Meters. Garton is a senior from Los Gatos, Calif.

Women’s Field Athlete of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Emma Dewart – Ithaca
A senior from Barker, N.Y., Dewart is the division’s leader in the heptathlon with a season’s best score of 5,006. She won NYSCTC titles in the high jump and long jump was named the Field Event Athlete of the Meet. Her season’s best of 5-7¼ (1.71m) in the high jump ranks in the DIII top five this season as well.

CENTRAL REGION – Kaari Jensen – Concordia Moorhead
Jensen, a junior from Pierz, Minn., was the MIAC Champion in the heptathlon, scoring a MIAC meet record of 4,829. She was also the MIAC Champion in the javelin and took fourth in the long jump and eighth in the triple jump at the league meet.

GREAT LAKES REGION – Ashley Bault – Marietta
A senior from Atwater, Ohio, Bault ranks in the nation’s top 20 in the long jump, triple jump, and heptathlon. Her heptathlon season best of 4,671 ranks among the nation’s top five. At the OAC Championships, she placed in the top three in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump.

MIDEAST REGION – Abigail Schaffer – Moravian
Schaffer, a senior from Easton, Pa., broke the NCAA Division III pole vault record this season with a vault of 13-10 (4.22m). Not only does she lead the division in the event, but she is the top 20 among all collegiate divisions this year in the event.

MIDWEST REGION – Melissa Norville – Illinois College
A junior from Batavia, Ill., Norville won the Midwest Conference title in the long jump and triple jump and was named the league’s Field Performer of the Championship Meet. Her season best marks of 20-10½ (5.84m) and 41-1 (12.41m) rank among the division’s top three in both events.

NEW ENGLAND REGION – Kelly Allen – Tufts
Allen, a junior from Norton, Mass., won the NESCAC title and the New England DIII title in both the discus and shot put this season. She scored 33 points in the NESCAC meet, adding a runner-up showing with the hammer and a fourth-place in the javelin. She ranks second in the division in the discus with a season’s best of 163-6 (49.85m), in the nation’s top 15 with the hammer, and top 25 with the shot.

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Emily Niehaus – Centre
A senior from Mainville, Ohio, Niehaus scored 28 points at the SCAC Championships with a first-place effort in the shot and hammer and runner-up showing with the discus. She ranks in the top five in the nation with the hammer, having notched a season’s best throw of 179-11 (54.85m).

WEST REGION – Catherine Street – Linfield
Street, a senior from Wilsonville, Ore., set a then-divisional pole vault record of 13-9¾ (4.21m) in taking top honors at the Northwest Conference Championships. Street is currently No. 2 in the nation in the event, but trails Moravian’s Schaffer by only one-quarter of an inch for the Division III record and division season lead.

Women’s Head Coach of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Derick "Ringo" Adamson – Rowan
In his sixth year at the helm, Adamson led the Owls to their first NJAC Championship victory since 1992. Currently ranked 20th nationally, Rowan has four qualifying marks including the third in the steeplechase and javelin.

CENTRAL REGION – Marcus Newsom – Wartburg
The top-ranked team in the nation won the IIAC Championships with a record 353 points. Thus far, Wartburg has six marks among the All-Time Division III Top Ten. The Knights lead the national list in eight events and have 22 more athletes among the top 20.

GREAT LAKES REGION – Kevin Lucas –Mount Union
After winning the Ohio Athletic Championships and All-Ohio Championships, the Raiders currently hold a ninth ranking in the national list. The second year coach has four athletes and a relay ranked in the top ten thus far.

MIDEAST REGION – Bobby Van Allen – Johns Hopkins University
Following their Centennial Conference victory, the Blue Jays sit atop the Mideast Region rankings. Van Allen is in his eleventh year with the program.

MIDWEST REGION – Chris Schumacher – Illinois Wesleyan
With his athletes scoring 144 of the teams’ 204 points toward a CCIW title, Schumacher has seven athletes nationally ranked in the top 15, as well as both relays. The Titans are currently ranked fourth nationally.

NEW ENGLAND REGION – Fletcher Brooks – Williams
Williams is ranked seventh nationally after winning the New England Division III and NESCAC Championships earlier this season. Under Brooks guidance for four years, the Ephs are currently ranked seventh nationally and first in the New England region.

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – John Curtin – Emory
Emory won the UAA title and had three school records broken this season in the distance events. The Eagles have top-50 national performances in the 100, 400, 1500, 5000, 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, 4×100 relay, and 4×400 relay. 

WEST REGION – John Smith – George Fox
In his fourth year as the combined events, hurdles, and pole vault coach, Smith was named Northwest Conference Coach of the year after George Fox won by 34 points. At the champs, the team picked up 1-4 in the heptathlon, 1-3 in the 100 hurdles, and 1-2 in the 400 hurdles, and brought home both Track and Field Athletes of the Meet honors. The Bruins are currently the highest ranked West Region team in the national poll.

Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year

ATLANTIC REGION – Markus Allen – Buffalo State
In his sixth year coaching the Bengals, Allen currently has athletes ranked second and eighth in the 100, 10th in the 100 hurdles, and the fourth fastest 4×100 relay. His athletes won the 100, 200, 110 hurdles and 400 hurdles at the SUNYAC Championships.

CENTRAL REGION – Chad Robran –St. Thomas (Minn.)
Currently ranked 19th in the national poll, the Tommies relied on their sprint squad to win the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships. In addition to the two relays, three athletes are currently ranked among the top 25 in the nation.

GREAT LAKES REGION – Matthew Cole – Rose-Hulman
In his seventh year, Cole mentored his sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers to five HCAC event titles while accumulating 78 percent of the team’s scoring. The Fightin’ Enginner coach has an athlete currently ranked first nationally in the high jump.

MIDEAST REGION – Gary Aldrich – Carnegie Mellon
At the UAA Conference Championships, Aldrich saw his athletes score 46½ of the team’s 62 points. In his fifth year with the Tartans, his top hurdler currently sits sixth nationally in the 100m hurdles and eighth in the 400m hurdles.

MIDWEST REGION – Greg Huffaker – Illinois Wesleyan
Coaching the distance events for the fourth ranked team, Huffaker had women place 1-2-5-6 in the 10,000 meters at the CCIW Championships to help the Titans to a team victory. He currently has athletes ranked ninth and 19th in the 10k in his sixth year at IWU.

NEW ENGLAND REGION – Lisa Wallin – Tufts
The Jumbos’ throwers accounted for 66 of the team’s points to finish second at the NESCAC meet and 38 points to finish third at the New England Regions. After breaking school records in all four throwing events this spring, her athletes have four top-25 ranked marks.

SOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION – Maddy Outman – Emory
Outman’s sprinters, jumpers, and hurdlers scored 160 of the team’s 226½ points to win the UAA title. In her second year, Outman had athletes set three school and three conference records. The Eagles have both relays ranked among the top ten, as well as athletes qualified in the 100, 400, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and both horizontal jump events.

WEST REGION – Michelle Forbes – George Fox
Coaching the combined events for the Bruins, Forbes had athletes go 1-2-3-4 at the Northwest Conference Championships and bring home the Field Athlete of the Meet honors. On the national list, the fourth year coach has athletes currently ranked fourth, 14th 21st and 28th in the heptathlon.