Division I Indoor Track & Field Region Award Winners Are Unveiled

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Regional Men’s Track Athletes of the Year

Great Lakes Region

Reed Connor, Wisconsin

Connor, a senior from Houston Texas, posted the fastest collegiate time of 2014 at 5000 meters with a 13:37.42 win at Iowa State and is No. 10 nationally and No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region at 3000 meters in 7:51.78 en route to a title at the Big Ten Championships. He also finished runner-up at 5000 meters at the Big Ten Championships. He will contest both events at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Brannon Kidder, Penn State

Kidder, a sophomore from Lancaster, Ohio, is the second-fastest man at 800 meters in Division I in 1:47.45 and is ranked No. 11 in the mile at 3:58.49. He won Big Ten titles both at 800 meters and as the lead-off leg of the distance medley relay, which earlier in the season ran the nation’s fastest time of 2014 and the second-fastest time in collegiate history. Both the 800 and DMR are on his schedule at the NCAA Division I indoor Championships.

Midwest Region

Kirubel Erassa, Oklahoma State

Erassa, a senior from Grayson, Ga., made history at the Big 12 Championships in becoming the first Oklahoma State athlete to win three individual conference titles: the mile, 5,000 meters and a meet-record 3,000 meters, which clinched OSU’s first team conference title. He will compete at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships as the anchor of Oklahoma State’s eighth-seeded distance medley relay.

Mountain Region

Anthony Rotich, UTEP

Rotich, a junior from Nairobi, Kenya, is one of two distance runners on the Bowerman Watch List. He is No. on the mile qualifying list with a time of 3:55.86 (converted from 4:01.11 for altitude), No. 12 at 5,000 meters (13:44.13) and No. 25 at 3,000 meters (7:56.60). Was the High Scorer of the Meet at the Conference USA Championships with titles in the mile and at both 3000 and 5000 meters. He will contest the mile at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Northeast Region

Rich Peters, Boston

Peters, a junior from Bristol, England, set the collegiate record in the 1,000m with time of 2:18.55. He broke school records both in the mile (3:57.27) and at 3000 meters (7:52.61, which rank No. 6 and No. 13, respectively, in Division I. He was named the Patriot League Athlete of the Year, winning both in the mile and at 1000 meters. Both the mile and 3000 meters competitions at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships will feature Peters.

South Region

Arman Hall, Florida

Hall, a sophomore from Pembroke Pines, Fla., is the No. 2 collegian and No. 3 in the world for 2014 at 400 meters (45.28) and No. 3 at 200 meters (20.58), good for sixth in the world. Both times came at the SEC Championships, where he won the 200 meters title and finished runner-up at 400 meters en route to moving to No. 7 on the all-time collegiate indoor performers list. He also ran the anchor leg of the runner-up 4×400 relay that tied the old collegiate record.  The Bowerman Watch List member will run both at 200 meters and 400 meters at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, as well as in the 4×400 relay.

South Central Region

Deon Lendore, Texas A&M

Lendore, a junior from Arima, Trinidad &Tobago, won the SEC 400 meters title in world-leading 45.03, breaking the national record of Trinidad & Tobago, as well as his own Texas A&M mark. His performance is equal to sixth on world all-time list and equal to fourth on collegiate all-time list. He is the first to defend an SEC Indoor title at 400 meters since 1998, and he anchored A&M’s 4×400 to a collegiate record of 3:03.20 with 44.63 split to defend SEC title. The Bowerman Watch List member will contest the 400 and 4×400 relay at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Southeast Region

Matt Hillenbrand, Kentucky

Hillenbrand, a senior from Louisville, Ky., was the only man at the SEC Championships to win two individual championships, as he claimed the 3k and Mile Championships to earn SEC Cliff Harper Trophy Co-Awardee. He broke the UK mile-record with a fourth-ranked 3:57.00, and ran a season-best 7:59.55 over 3000 meters. He will compete in the mile at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

West Region

Lawi Lalang, Arizona

Lalang, a senior from Eldoret, Kenya, broke the indoor mile collegiate record in 3:52.88 with a runner-up showing in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games, giving him the second-fastest time in the world in 2014. He is also the top-ranked collegian at 3000 meters in 7:44.20 and ranked No. 4 at 5000 meters in 13:41.58 in a win at the MPSF Championships. His 3000 meters performance gave him the No. 7 all-time indoor all-conditions performance in collegiate history. The Bowerman Watch List member will contest all three events at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Regional Women’s Track Athletes of the Year

Great Lakes Region

Leah O’Connor, Michigan State

O’Connor, a junior from Croswell, Mich., was the Big Ten Mile Champion with a Big Ten Championship record time of 4:34.35, shaving three seconds off her own MSU record and breaking Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton’s 1989 record. She is ranked No. 6 among collegians in the mile. She also anchored the distance medley relay (4:34.9h split) that earned a silver medal with a school-record time of 11:13.82. She will run the mile at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Mahagony Jones, Penn State

Jones, a senior from Garfield, Heights, Ohio, won Big Ten titles at 200 meters and as a leg of the 4×400 relay, and was runner-up at 60 meters to help lead the Nittany Lions to the team title. She is ranked No. 6 at 200 meters (23.10), No. 9 at 60 meters (7.36) and is a member of the No. 7 4×400 relay. She also ran a leg of the 4×200 relay that broke the indoor collegiate record. She will compete at both 60 and 200 meters at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, as well as in the 4×400 relay.

Midwest Region

Diamond Dixon, Kansas

Dixon, a senior from Houston, Texas, ran to a Big 12 title at 200 meters in a career-best 23.43, and claimed a third at 400 meters in 52.20, the second-fastest of her career and No. 8 time in the NCAA in 2014. Earlier this year, she posted 1:10.06 in the 500 meters at the Armory Invite, making her the No. 8 collegian all-time in the event. She will compete at 400 meters at the NCAA Division I Championships.

Mountain Region

Le’Tristan Pledger, Texas Tech

Pledger, a sophomore from Kansas City, Kan., broke the school record and season-best time of time of 8.07 in the 60-meter hurdles for an altitude-converted time (8.09) that ranks No. 6 in the NCAA. She ran 8.10 in the prelims at the Big 12 Champions, a time that ranks second in school history. She will contest both the 60-meter hurdles and the long jump at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Northeast Region

Abbey D’Agostino, Dartmouth

D’Agostino, a senior from Topsfield, Mass., leads the all collegians in the mile (4:28.11), and at both 3,000 meters (8:51.xx) and 5,000 meters (15:40.xx). Her mile, equal to third all-time among collegians, came in a runner-up finish at the Boston University Terrier Invitational, and her 3000 meters, ranked No. 4 in collegiate indoor history, came via a fourth-place finish at the Millrose Games. Her season also included Ivy League titles in the mile and at 5000 meters, along with an Ivy title in the 4×800 relay. She will contest both the 3000 and 5000 meters events at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, along with the distance medley relay.

South Region

Cory McGee, Florida

McGee, a senior from Pass Christian, Miss., was the high scorer at the SEC Championships with a title at 3000 meters (9:10.48), a runner-up finish in the mile (4:35.03) and a leg of the winning distance medley relay. Her times at SECs rank her No. 7 and No. 19, respectively. She will compete at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in the mile and the distance medley relay.

South Central Region

Kamaria Brown, Texas A&M

Brown, a junior from Baton Rouge, La., became the first sprinter, male or female, to win SEC titles at both 200 and 400 meters in same season. She ran a world-leading time of 22.50 to win the 200 after clocking 22.51 in the prelims, giving her the No. 5 spot on the all-time indoor collegiate and U.S. performers list. She won at 400 meters in a meet-record 50.94 for No. 2 in the world this season and the collegiate leader, ranking her No. 8 on the all-time collegiate and US performer lists. She will compete at 200 meters and in the 4×400 relay at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Southeast Region

Dezerea Bryant, Kentucky

Bryant, a junior from Milwaukee, Wis., was undefeated in five 60 meters competitions, including the SEC Championship and Tyson Invitational. She became the first person in school history to win an SEC 60 meters crown, tying her own collegiate-leading time of 7.16. She also ranks second in the world and among collegians at 200 meters this season with a school-record 22.75 runner-up finish at the SEC Championships. The Bowerman Watch List member will contest both the 60 and 200 meters at the Division I Indoor Championships, along with the 4×400 relay.

West Region

Laura Roesler, Oregon

Roesler, a senior from Fargo, N.D., leads all collegians at 800 meters in 2:01.32, a school record and the second-fastest all-conditions time in collegiate history. She also ran legs on the Ducks’ third-ranked distance medley relay (10:56.77) and school-record 4×400 team that posted the second-fastest time collegiate of the season (3:30.08). The Bowerman Watch List member will compete at 800 meters at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, along with the 4×400 and distance medley relay.

Regional Men’s Field Athletes of the Year

Great Lakes Region

Michael Lihrman, Wisconsin

Lihrman, a junior from Rice Lake, Wis., posted a regular season that included both the all-time best weight throw mark by a Division I student-athlete and a Big Ten title in the event. He threw 79-7½ (24.27m) at the Wisconsin Red & White Invitational to break the all-time mark in just one attempt. He would later claim the Big Ten title with a meet-record throw of 78-¼ (23.78m). The Bowerman Watch List member will contest the event at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Corey Crawford, Rutgers

Crawford, a junior from Oakland, N.J., is the top-ranked long jumper in the country after winning the American Athletic Conference long jump title with a leap of 26-11¾ (8.22m). That leap also ranked him third in the world for 2014. He also finished runner-up at the American Championships in the high jump. He will compete in the long jump at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Midwest Region

Jon Lehman, Minnesota

Lehman, a senior from Coon Rapids, Minn., set the school record in the weight throw with his toss of 75-5 (22.98m), which ranks third among collegians. In all five of his competitions he has thrown at or above 71-11 (21.92m), including a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships with a toss of 74-5 (22.68m). He will compete in the event at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Mountain Region

Mark Jackson, UTEP

Jackson, a senior from Taylor, Texas, ranks No. 5 in the nation in the triple jump (53-2¼/16.21m) and No. 24 in the long jump (24-11¾/7.61m). Earned Highest Scorer of the Meet honors at the Conference USA Championships as he secured three Conference USA titles in the long jump, triple jump and 60 meters in helping the team claim the C-USA title. He will contest the triple jump at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Northeast Region

Stephen Mozia, Cornell

Mozia, a junior from Hackensack, N.J., broke the Ivy League record in the shot put with an Ivy League-title-winning heave of 68-2¼ (20.79m), good for No. 2 among collegians in 2014. On three separate throws he smashed the previous record set by Olympic Gold Medalist, Adam Nelson by more than a meter. He will compete in the shot put at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

South Region

Andre Dorsey, Kennesaw State

Dorsey, a junior from Chalmette, La., is the only athlete in the nation to be ranked top 10 in three events. He is ranked No. 4 in the triple jump (53-4½/16.27m), No. 6 in the high jump (7-3¾/2.23m), and No. 10 in the long jump (25-5½/7.76m). He set two Atlantic Sun Conference records and won his three jumps events at the Atlantic Sun Championships, along with a runner-up finish in the shot put, earning him Conference MVP and Field Athlete of the Year honors. Will contest all three jumps events at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

South Central Region

Ryan Crouser, Texas

Crouser, a senior from Boring, Ore., posted three of the top four shot put marks in the nation, including a collegiate-leading and school-record 69-8 (21.23m) at the New Mexico Collegiate to equal No. 5 on the 2014 world performers list. Crouser’s toss is the best at a collegiate indoor meet in nearly four years since Ryan Whiting (Arizona State) won the 2010 NCAA title (70-7¼/21.52m). Crouser also won his second Big 12 indoor title. The Bowerman Watch List member will compete in the shot put at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Southeast Region

Curtis Beach, Duke

Beach, a senior from Albuquerque, N.M., won the ACC heptathlon title in meet-record fashion with 5987 points, the No. 1 collegiate score of 2014. He also finished sixth in the long jump at the ACC Championships. He will compete in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in his hometown of Albuquerque.

West Region

Nick Ross, Arizona

Ross, a senior from Murrieta, Calif., is the collegiate leader in the high jump (7-7/2.31m), becoming just the third collegian to clear a height of at least 7-7 in the month of January. The clearance, which won the New Mexico Cherry & Silver Invitational, tied him at No. 10 on the all-time collegiate performers list. The Bowerman Watch List member will contest the event at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Regional Women’s Field Athletes of the Year

Great Lakes Region

Tori Franklin, Michigan State

Franklin, a junior from Westmont, Ill., set a Big Ten Championship Meet and overall record and improved her own SPIRE and MSU records in the triple jump with a mark of 44-6 (13.56m) en route to a Big Ten title. She beat out the rest of the competition by almost two-and-a-half feet. Franklin’s Ranks third in the nation. She will contest the event at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Thea LaFond, Maryland

LaFond, a junior from Silver Sprints, Md., scored 25 points at the ACC Championships to earn field performer of the meet. Among those 25 points were wins in the pentathlon with a score of 4222, giving her the No. 3 qualifying position, and the triple jump with a sixth-ranked mark of 43-6½ (13.27m). In the pentathlon high jump she cleared 6-0¾ (1.85m) in the high jump for the No. 6 mark. She will compete in the pentathlon at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Midwest Region

Sami Spenner, Omaha

Spenner, a senior from Columbus, Neb., broke the American collegiate record in the pentathlon at the USATF Indoor Championships with a runner-up score of 4498. That ranks third all-time among collegians, sixth all-time for an American, and would be first in Division I if not for Omaha’s transitional status to Division I. She would also rank ninth in the long jump of (20-9¾/6.34m. She scored 60 points at the Summit League Championships, including wins in the pentathlon, long jump, triple jump and 60-meter hurdles.

Mountain Region

Lindsey Hall, Montana

Hall, a senior from Missoula, Mont., won the Outstanding Performer award at Big Sky Conference Championships with a conference-record pentathlon score of 3969. She scored 30 points at the championships with a pentathlon win, a runner-up triple jump showing, third place in the high jump, fourth in the long jump, and eighth in the 60-meter hurdles.

Northeast Region

Adabelle Ekechukwu, Harvard

As the top-ranked weight thrower in the Northeast Region all season long, Ekechukwu, a senior from Oak Brook, Ill., won an Ivy league title in the event with a winning toss of 68-3¼ (20.81m). She is the only woman in conference history to surpass the 20 meter barrier, and holds all of the Top-10 marks in Ivy League in history.

South Region

Erica Bougard, Mississippi State

Bougard, a junior from Byhalia, Miss., won the SEC pentathlon title with a score of 4458, making her the top NCAA Division I Indoor Championships qualifier and moving her up to No. 5 on the all-time collegiate performers list. The score itself is the ninth-best in collegiate history. In addition to the pentathlon, she will also compete in the long jump at the NCAA Championships, in which she is the No. 6 seed.

South Central Region

Brea Garrett, Texas A&M

Garrett, a junior from Arlington, Texas, is the collegiate leader and fifth among Americans in the weight throw with a mark of 74-4¼ (22.66). The mark ranks her 10th on the all-time collegiate performers list and seventh among U.S. collegians all-time. Finished runner-up at the SEC Championships to LSU’s Denise Hinton, whom she defeated earlier in the season. She will contest the weight throw at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Southeast Region

Jeannelle, Scheper, South Carolina

Scheper, a senior from Gros-Islet, St. Lucia, has been the Division I leader in the high jump since her first meet of 2014. She recorded a top-ranked clearance of 6-2¾ (1.90m) at two different Virginia Tech meets and the SEC Championships, where she finished runner-up on misses while co-setting a new meet record. The SEC loss on misses to Leonita Kallenou of Georgia was the lone blemish on her season. She will contest the event at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

West Region

Shanieka Thomas, San Diego State

Thomas, a senior from St. Andrew, Jamaica, won the Mountain West triple jump title with a MW championship-record leap of 44-5¼ (13.54m). She is the collegiate leader in the event at 45-3 (13.79m), which was set at the Don Kirby Elite. She will compete in the long jump at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Regional Men’s Head Coaches of the Year

Great Lakes Region

Mick Byrne, Wisconsin

Byrne, in his first year as Director of the Badger program, led his squad to the Big Ten title, winning over nearest challenger Nebraska, 122½ to 118. The team also won the Armory Collegiate Invitational this season in New York, finished the season as the No. 1 team in the region, and holds eight entries into the NCAA Championships. Wisconsin is currently ranked fourth nationally.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Marcus O’Sullivan, Villanova

O’Sullivan has guided his Wildcat squad to a top-ten national ranking this season and leads four entries into the NCAA Championships, including three top-three seeds in Miler Jordan Williamsz, 5000 meter runner Patrick Tiernan, and a DMR squad that has clocked 9:28.06 this season. Villanova claimed the team title in the first year of the revamped Big East Conference.

Midwest Region

Dave Smith, Oklahoma State

The Cowboys won its first indoor team conference title in school history under 11th-year head coach Dave Smith. Five Big 12 event titles were claimed by the squad, including three in the distance events. Oklahoma State has three entries into the NCAA Championships, including a 200-meter runner (Big 12 champ Tyreek Hill), a weight-thrower (Big 12 champ Nick Miller), and a DMR.

Mountain Region

Joe Franklin, New Mexico

Franklin, in his seventh year at New Mexico, led the men’s team to its second consecutive Mountain West team title, which is also the second in team history. The Lobos claimed six league titles, including a sweep of the top three positions at both 3000 and 5000 meters.

Northeast Region

Nathan Taylor, Cornell

Taylor, in his 15th year at Cornell, led the Big Red to the Ivy League title over nearest challenger Princeton by 30 points. Cornell sat atop the region’s team rankings all season and moves to the NCAA Championships with three entries and a top-20 national team ranking. Cornell is led by shot putter Stephen Mozia and high jumper Montez Blair.

South Region

Bob Braman, Florida State

The Seminoles claimed the conference crown in a new look ACC with 97 points, eight ahead of runner-up North Carolina, and scored in 11 of 17 events with four event titles. Braman, in his 14th year, will have five entries into the NCAA Championships with a squad ranked seventh in the nation.

South Central Region

Chris Bucknam, Arkansas

Bucknam’s Razorbacks won the SEC indoor title for the third-straight year, doing so this season with a 15-point cushion over nationally top-ranked Florida. Arkansas had three event championships and five runners-up at the league meet. The squad enters the NCAA Championships as the No. 2 team in the country and has a tied-national best 13 entries into meet. Bucknam is in his sixth year at the helm.

Southeast Region

Harlis Meaders, North Carolina

Meaders, in his second year at the helm, led the Tar Heels to a second-place showing at the ACC Championships, improving from a fourth-place finish a year ago. North Carolina finished the season as the top-ranked team in the region and has two entries into the NCAA Championships.

West Region

Tony Sandoval, California

Sandoval led Cal to its first MPSF title in 22 years with a three-point victory over second-place Arizona State. In his 32nd year, Sandoval has three entries into the NCAA Championships.

Regional Women’s Head Coaches of the Year

Great Lakes Region

Bill Lawson, Kent State

The Mid-American Conference Women’s Coach of the Year, Lawson in his ninth season, led Kent State to a league title with 127½ points. The Golden Flashes won four events, including a 1-2-3 finish in the long jump, at the MAC Championships. His team finished the season with eight marks that rank in the top 50 nationally.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Beth Alford-Sullivan, Penn State

The Big Ten Coach of the Year, Alford-Sullivan in her 15th year led the Nittany Lions to B1G crown with league champs in four events. Penn State has six entries for the NCAA Championships and ranks No. 12 nationally. The squad finished the season as the region’s top-ranked team by a wide margin.

Midwest Region

Ryun Godfrey, North Dakota State

Godfrey, in his 15th year at NDSU, directed his team to the Summit League title as the squad combined to win all but one running event at the league meet. Godfrey guided the team’s 4×400 relay to its first NCAA Championship bid in school history with a national-top ten time.

Mountain Region

Joe Franklin, New Mexico

Franklin, in his seventh year at New Mexico, led the crew to its first Mountain West Conference title in team history. The Lobos claimed league titles in the Mile, pole vault, and long jump.

Northeast Region

Robyne Johnson, Boston University

Johnson, in her ninth year at Boston University, led the team to an 80-point victory for the Patriot League title in the program’s first year in the conference.  Seven event titles were won and three conference-meet records were broken by the Terriers.

South Region

Mike Holloway, Florida

Holloway, in his seventh year at Florida, leads the Gators into the NCAA Championships with a meet-best 14 entries and the No. 1 national team ranking. Florida won the SEC title as Cory McGee, with 20½ points, was the high-point award winner while four won league crowns.

South Central Region

Mario Sategna, Texas

Sategna, in his first year as head coach of a newly combined-gender program, led the Longhorns to its first Big 12 title since 2006 with a league-best six event crowns. Texas is ranked fifth nationally heading into the NCAA Championships with nine entries.

Southeast Region

Edrick Floreal, Kentucky

Floreal, in his second year at the helm at Kentucky, has led the Wildcats to an all-time team best national ranking of No. 6 and leads the team into the NCAA Championships with eight entries. The squad finished fourth at the SEC meet behind the individual titles held by Dezerea Bryant in the 60 meters and Kendra Harrison in the 60 hurdles. Both of those athletes hold No. 1 national seeds heading into the NCAA meet.

West Region

Caryl Smith Gilbert, Southern California

In just her first season at the helm of the team, Smith Gilbert led the Women of Troy to the MPSF title. The squad earned five individual entries and a 4x400m relay into the NCAA Championships.

Regional Men’s Assistant Coaches of the Year

Great Lakes Region

David Astrauskas, Wisconsin

Astrauskas, in his fifth year as throws coach at Wisconsin, led Big Ten champ Michael Lihrman to the all-time Division I best and world-leading weight-throw performance of 79-7½ (24.27m). Danny Block was the Big Ten’s runner-up with the shot as well as the Armory Collegiate Invite and Tyson Invitational champion. Along with Lihrman and Block, Astrauskas aids NCAA-qualified heptathletes Japheth Cato and Zach Ziemek.

Mid-Atlantic Region

John Gondak, Penn State

Gondak, in his eighth year at Penn State, guided sophomore Brannon Kidder to the Big Ten title in the 800 meters and the DMR squad to a league crown. Kidder enters the NCAA Championships as the No. 2 seed (1:47.45) while the DMR clocked the collegiate-leading time of the season, 9:26.59, back in January.

Midwest Region

Billy Maxwell, Nebraska

Maxwell, in his 19th year with the Huskers, aided the team to a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a No. 14 national ranking. Under his guidance, Oladapo Akinmoladun won the 60 meter hurdles at the conference championship, with a collegiate-leading and school-record breaking time of 7.61. Maxwell also coached the 4×400 squad to a school-record time of 3:06.93 at the Tyson Invitational.

Mountain Region

James Thomas, Texas Tech

Thomas, in his second year at Texas Tech, oversaw the development of high jumpers Bradley Adkins and Jacorian Duffield, both of whom qualified for the NCAA Championships. The duo went 2-3 at the Big 12 Championships, both clearing a school-record height of 7-3¾ (2.23m).

Northeast Region

James Garnham, Buffalo

Garnham, the Bulls throws coach in his 14th season, led NCAA qualifier Jonathan Jones to the Mid-American Conference title and league record with a top-ten national performance of 65-5½ (19.95m). Weight thrower Evan Palmer just missed an NCAA bid, but took the MAC title with a school record toss of 68-7¼ (20.91m).

South Region

Dennis Nobles, Florida State

Nobles, now in his 30th year with the ‘Noles, was instrumental in guiding Florida State to an ACC Championship as his jumpers claimed three individual titles (high jump, long jump, and triple jump), contributing 53 of the team’s 97 points. High jumper James Harris and triple jumper Jonathan Reid both ACC champs enter the NCAA Championships as the No. 2 seed in their respective events.

South Central Region

Travis Geopfert, Arkansas

Geopfert, in his fifth year as men’s field event coach at Arkansas, has a nation-leading six jumps entries and defending national champ heptathlete Kevin Lazas qualified for the NCAA Championships. Geopfert-coached athletes scored 60 points at the SEC Championships and claimed two league titles and two runners-up showings.

Southeast Region

Shawn Wilbourn, Duke

Wilbourn, in his sixth year at Duke as coach of sprints, hurdles, combined events and pole vault,  coached Duke to 36 total points at the ACC meet, 22 of which in the heptathlon. Curtis Beach won the ACC crown and holds the nation’s top mark as a collegian.  

West Region

Sheldon Blockburger, Arizona

Blockburger, in his ninth year at Arizona, has guided three to the NCAA Championships: Senior Nick Ross and juniors Pau Tonnesen and Jovon Cunningham. MPSF champ Ross is the collegiate leader in the high jump with a clearance of 7-7 (2.31m). Tonnesen earned a second-place finish in the heptathlon at the MPSF Championships and is ranked No. 15 in the country. Cunningham’s jump of 52-2½ (15.91m) is just off the school record and stands as the No. 13 mark in the country.

Regional Women’s Assistant Coaches of the Year

Great Lakes Region

Nathan Fanger, Kent State

Fanger, in his 12th year at Kent State, led his throws to 29 points at the MAC Championships. The Golden Flashes took 1-3-4 in the shot put for 21 points at the championships along with a runner-up showing in the weight throw. Fanger has three entered in the NCAA Championships, including two in the shot put.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Randy Bungard, Penn State

Bungard, in his second year at Penn State, had athletes score 57 points at the Big Ten Championships to the team to the league title. He coached three to Big Ten individual titles in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and 4×400 relay. The Nittany Lions have five entries into the NCAA Championships in the sprints, hurdles, and relays. Earlier in the year, a Penn State quartet set the all-time collegiate best in the 4×200 relay under his tutelage.

Midwest Region

Derek Miles, South Dakota

Miles, in his eighth year guiding jumps at South Dakota, led a duo of pole vaulters to the NCAA Championships, including collegiate leader Emily Grove who has a best this season of 14-9½ (4.51m).

Mountain Region

Lacena Golding-Clarke, UTEP

Golding-Clarke, in her second year at UTEP, guided Nickevea Wilson to a triple jump title at the Conference USA Championships with a personal best of 43-1 (13.13m). Wilson earned a bid to the NCAA Championships along with Janice Jackson in the 60 meter hurdles.

Northeast Region

Bruce Lehane, Boston University

Lehane, distance coach at Boston University in his 30th year, had his event group three event titles and contribute 77 of 210 team points at the Patriot League Championships. Lehane had a group of six milers clock times of five minutes or better. Monica Adler qualified for the NCAA Championships in the mile with a season’s best of 4:36.35.

South Region

Petros Kyprianou, Georgia

Kyprianou, in his sixth year at Georgia, qualified four for the NCAA Championships, all with top-five seeds. His group of jumpers and pentathletes claimed two SEC titles and scored 48½ points at the conference meet. Leontia Kallenou claimed the SEC high jump title with a meet- record and collegiate-leading 6-2¾ (1.90). Kendell Williams is No. 2 nationally in pentathlon, scoring an American junior record this season of 4,302.

South Central Region

Vince Anderson, Texas A&M

For Anderson in his 10th year at Texas A&M, Aggie sprinters totaled 54 points in the SEC meet, which included a SEC first-ever 200 & 400 double win by Kamaria Brown, who ran a world-leading time of 22.50 in the 200 and meet record 50.94 in the 400. Shamier Little placed third in 400 with a 51.86, which is the nation’s top mark by a freshman this season. A&M placed second in SEC with 96½ points and advanced three sprinters each to NCAA in 60 and 200 meters as well as two sprinters in 400 along with 4×400 relay for a nation-leading eight entries into the NCAA meet in sprint/hurdle events.

Southeast Region

Tim Hall, Kentucky

Hall, in his first year at Kentucky, coached Dezerea Bryant to a collegiate-leading time at 60 meters of 7.16. Bryant is also ranked second in the 200 meters with her 22.75. Both performances are just outside the all-time collegiate top ten. In addition to Bryant, Hall has guided the 4×400 relay squad to a No. 5 seed with a 3:33.35 season’s best.

West Region

Curtis Taylor, Oregon

Taylor, in his first year at Oregon as coach of sprints, hurdles, and relays, had six sprinters finish the regular season ranked in the top 15 nationally. Jasmine Todd ranks No. 2 in the NCAA in the 60 meters (7.18 seconds) and long jump (21-4/6.50m). Jenna Prandini ranks third nationally in the 60 meters with a 7.24 performance. Sasha Wallace posted an American junior record and school record, 8.10, in the 60-meter hurdles and has toppled the triple jump school record (42-5½/12.94m). Wallace is also qualified for both events for the NCAA Championships.