NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Tuesday its National Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2016 NCAA Division II Cross Country season following the championships in Saint Leo, Florida, this past weekend.
NCAA Division II Cross Country individual champions Vincent Kiprop of Missouri Southern and Kendra Foley of Grand Valley State were named the men's and women's USTFCCCA National Athletes of the Year, respectively.
Damon Martin of Adams State and Jerry Baltes of Grand Valley State earned men's and women's National Coach of the Year honors, respectively, in leading their teams to national titles.
DORIS BROWN HERITAGE AWARD (WOMEN'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR)
Kendra Foley, Grand Valley State
Foley, a senior from Noblesville, Indiana, made sure in 2016 to avoid a repeat scenario of 2015's runner-up finish to Alexis Zeis of U-Mary by a third of a second. Making a decisive move at the 6K race's halfway point, Foley never looked back en route to a 25-second win over Zeis in 20:01.8.
The victory was Foley's second national title dating back to the 2014 season, and it made her the first woman in NCAA Division II history to win national titles in non-consecutive seasons. She was patient for the first half of the race, allowing Southern Indiana's Jessica Reeves – the winner of Foley's Midwest Region – to take an early lead before reeling her in by midway through and pulling away for the rest of the race.
Foley's season also included a victory at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational and the GLIAC Championships.
DUANE VANDENBUSCHE AWARD (WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR)
Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State
When Baltes' Laker women made their move halfway through Saturday's women's 6K championship race, they never looked back. Led by individual national champion Kendra Foley, GVSU toppled defending national champion Adams State for the title, 116-139.
Baltes, in his 18th year leading the GVSU program, coached four women to All-America honors on Saturday to lead all women's teams. Frosh Stacey Metzger was 15th overall, while Kelly Haubert and Amy Creutz were 35th and 40th, respectively.
The national title was the Lakers' fifth in the past seven seasons, and followed up on an undefeated regular season against DII squads. GVSU won at the Midwest Region and GLIAC championships, and scored a win at the Lewis Conference Crossover.
