NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2014 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season were announced Friday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Each of the regions, which are the same as those used during the Division II cross country season, honored both genders’ top track athletes and field athletes and the top men’s and women’s head coaches and assistant coaches. Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.
Many of the honored athletes and coaches will be in competition at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships set for next weekend, May 22-24, in Allendale, Mich., at Grand Valley State. The meet can be streamed online live at NCAA.org, and more information can be found at the USTFCCCA’s National Championships Central page.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETES
ATLANTIC REGION – Roxroy Cato, Saint
Augustine’s
Cato, a senior from Jamaica, is undefeated in the
400-meter hurdles during the 2014 season, including titles at the
Penn Relays, the CIAA Championships and the Flforida Relays. He won
the Florida Relays title in 48.67, good for the collegiate lead and
the No. 2 time in the world. He will contest the 400-meter hurdles
and run a leg of the top-seeded 4×400 relay team.
CENTRAL REGION – Williams Shell, Southwest
Baptist
Shell, a senior from Cape Girardeau, Mo., earned MIAA
Champion titles both at 200 and 400 meters. His 46.31 to win the
400 meters title put him at No. 1 in DII, while his 21.05 at 200
meters was No. 16. He will run both the 400 meters and the
4×400 relay at NCAAs.
EAST REGION – Logan Sharpe, Southern
Connecticut
Sharpe, a senior from Esperance, N.Y., claimed individual
titles both at 400 meters and in the 400-meter hurdles to help SCSU
to a Northeast-10 Championships title, along with running legs of
three top-four relays. His undefeated season in the 400-meter
hurdles, the event he will contest at NCAAs, includes a 51.71 that
ranks No. 9 in the nation.
MIDWEST
REGION – Drew Windle, Ashland
Windle, a junior from New Albany, Ohio, ran the
Division’s fastest 800 meters of the year – and the
10th-fastest in Division II history – in 1:46.91 and
DII’s second-best 1500 meters time in 3:44.92. He claimed the
GLIAC title in the latter and was runner-up at 800 meters. He is
entered into the NCAA Championships at 800 meters.
SOUTH REGION – Kyran Stewart, Albany State
(Ga.)
Stewart, a junior from Camilla, Ga., claimed SIAC titles
both at 100 and 200 meters. He ranks in the top-10 nationally in
both events with a 10.38 at 100 meters and a 20.93 at 200 meters
for the No. 8 and 9 times in DII, respectively. He will contest
both events at NCAAs, in addition to the 4×100 relay.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION – Tabor Stevens, Adams
State
Stevens, a junior from Canon City, Colo., is the Division
II leader in the 3000-meter steeplechase following an 8:38.46 win
at the Stanford Invitational. He won the RMAC title at 1500 meters
and is ranked No. 3 at 5000 meters in 13:49.40. Both the
steeplechase and 5000 meters are on his schedule for NCAAs.
SOUTHEAST REGION – Dylan Lafond, Mount Olive
Lafond, a sophomore from Manchester, N.H., scored 40
points en route to leading Mount Olive to a team title at the
Conference Carolinas Championships behind wins at 1500, 5000 and
10,000 meters and in the 3000-meter steeplechase. He will contest
the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships.
WEST REGION – Jordan Edwards, Academy of Art
Edwards, a junior from Denver, Colo., is ranked in the
top-10 in all three short sprints events: No. 2 at 400 meters
(46.36), No. 5 at 100 meters (10.32) and No. 7 at 200 meters
(20.89). He won all three events at the PacWest Championships in
addition to running legs of both winning relays. He will run both
at 200 and 400 meters at the NCAA Championships, in addition to
both relays.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETES
ATLANTIC REGION – Dejon Wilkinson, Saint
Augustine’s
Wilkinson, a senior from Summerville, S.C., finished the
regular season as the Division II leader both in the long jump and
the triple jump. He won both titles at the CIAA Championships, and
finished runner-up in the triple jump at the Penn Relays. He will
compete in both horizontal jumps events at the NCAA
Championships.
CENTRAL REGION – Christopher Reed, Minnesota
State
Reed, a senior from Omaha, Neb., won NSAC Championship
titles in the hammer throw, shot put and discus events. His 215-11
(65.81m) hammer throw NSIC record ranked him No. 3 in Division II
in that event, while he was No. 4 in the shot put and No. 12 in the
discus. He will compete in all three events at NCAAs.
EAST REGION – Nick Lebron, Southern
Connecticut
Lebron, a junior from Newington, Conn., is undefeated in
the decathlon in 2014 with Penn Relays and New England
Championships titles to his name. His 7178 at the New England
Championships was a meet record and put him fifth on the Division
II list for 2014. He will contest the event at the NCAA
Championships.
MIDWEST
REGION – Justin Welch, Findlay
Welch, a junior from Luckey, Ohio, became the No. 2
hammer thrower in Division II history with a mark of 239-3 (72.93m)
at the Toledo Invitational. He owns the top 22 marks of the
Division II season with titles at the Penn Relays, GLIAC
Championships, Raleigh Relays and All-Ohio Championships. He will
throw both the hammer and the discus at the NCAA
Championships.
SOUTH REGION – Alex May, Alabama-Huntsville
May, a first-year collegian from Hoover, Ala., won both
the long jump and triple jump titles at the Peach Belt
Championships to earn Field Athlete of the Year honors. His
48-11¾ (14.92m) mark in the triple jump is No. 17 in the
nation. He will compete in the triple jump at the NCAA
Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION – Jeron Robinson, Texas
A&M-Kingsville
Robinson, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, is just a
centimeter shy of the all-time Division II high jump record and the
2014 collegiate lead with a leap of 7-6 (2.29m) at the Cactus Cup.
He is No. 10 in the world and is undefeated against Division II
competition this season, including a Lone Star Conference title. He
will contest the event at the NCAA Championships.
SOUTHEAST REGION – Bryce Rauhof, Clayton State
Rauhof, a senior from Peachtree City, Ga., claimed the
hammer throw and shot put titles at the Peach Belt Championships en
route to earning Field Athlete of the Year honors. He is the No. 1
hammer thrower in the Southeast Region and is No. 2 and No. 7 in
the shot put and discus, respectively.
WEST REGION – J Patrick Smith, Chico State
Smith, a senior from Santa Barbara, Calif., is Division
II’s top decathlete after the conclusion of the regular
season with a score of 7351 at the Sam Adams Multi Events. He
scored 33½ team points at the CCAA Championships, including
a win in the long jump, to lead Chico State to the team title. He
will contest the decathlon and the long jump at the NCAA
Championships.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETES
ATLANTIC REGION – Danielle Williams, Johnson C.
Smith
Williams, a senior from St. Andrew, Jamaica, claimed
individual CIAA crowns both at 100 and 200 meters and in the
100-meter hurdles, as well as part of the winning 4×100 and
4×400 relay teams. Her Penn Relays runner-up finish in 13.07
put her atop the Division II list in the 100-meter hurdles, and she
is also No. 2 at 200 meters in 23.49 and No. 3 at 100 meters in
11.52. She will contest each of those three individual events and
the 4×100 relays at the NCAA Championships.
CENTRAL REGION – Samantha Rivard, Minnesota
Duluth
Rivard, a first-year collegian from Oak Grove, Minn., won
both the 5000 and 10,000 meters titles at the NSIC Championships
and finished third at 1500 meters to claim Newcomer of the Meet
honors. Her 16:29.73 at 5000 meters is No. 2 in the nation, and she
is ranked No. 17 at 1500 meters and No. 19 at 10,000. She will
compete both at 5000 and 10,000 meters at the NCAA
Championships.
EAST REGION – Ada Udaya, New Haven
Udaya, a junior from West Haven, Conn., swept the 100 and
200 meters titles at both the Northeast-10 Conference Championships
and the New England Championships. She finished the regular season
ranked No. 1 in both events with an 11.34 win at 100 meters at the
New England Championships and a 23.22 win in the Shamrock
Invitational 200 meters race. She will compete in both events,
along with the 4×100 relay, at the NCAA Championships.
MIDWEST
REGION – Kalena Franklin, Grand Valley State
Franklin, a senior from West Branch, Mich., won GLIAC
titles at 200 meters and in the 100-meter hurdles and 4×400
relay. She is ranked No. 4 in the 100-meter hurdles with a 13.41 at
the Mt. SAC Relays and is No. 16 at 200 meters and No. 18 at 400
meters. She will contest the hurdles and the 200 at the NCAA
Championships, along with the 4×400 relay.
SOUTH REGION – Chamekea Davis, Benedict
Davis, a sophomore from Patterson, N.J., won SIAC titles
both at 100 and 200 meters in 11.57 and 24.17, respectively, and is
the top-ranked South Regioncompetitor in both events. Those times
correlate to the No. 5 and No. 18 spots on the national Division II
list, respectively. She will compete in both events at the NCAA
Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION – Kayon Robinson, Adams
State
Robinson, a senior from Clarendon, Jamaica, won both the
200 and 400 meters titles at the RMAC Championships in meet-record
fashion and ran legs of the winning 4×100 and 4×400
relay teams. Her 400 win in 52.80 moved her to No. 2 on the
Division II list, while her 23.37 put her at No. 3. She will
contest both individual events at the NCAA Championships, along
with the 4×400 relay.
SOUTHEAST REGION – Andrea Guerra, Queens
(N.C.)
Guerra, a senior from Anaheim, Calif., won both the 5000
and 10,000 meters titles at the South Atlantic Conference
Championships. Her 35:28.54, 16th-place finish at the Penn Relays
moved her up to No. 12 on the Division II list for 2014. She will
contest the event at the NCAA Championships.
WEST REGION – Courtney Anderson, Cal State
Stanislaus
Anderson, a senior from Folsom, Calif., won the 1500
meters title at the CCAA Championships and finished runner-up at
5000 meters. She is the nation’s top-ranked runner at 1500
meters with a 4:20.65 at the West Coast Last Chance, is No. 2 in
the 3000-meter steeplechase in 10:14.97 and No. 15 at 5000 meters.
She will compete at 1500 and 5000 meters at the NCAA
Championships.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETES
ATLANTIC REGION – Tabitha Bemis, Edinboro
Bemis, a senior from Fair Oaks, Pa., claimed individual
PSAC titles in the long jump, the triple jump and the 100-meter
hurdles in addition to running a leg of the runner-up 4×400
relay. She is ranked No. 4 in the triple jump with her PSAC-winning
41-10¾ (12.77m) and is ranked No. 12 in the long jump and
No. 19 in the 100-meter hurdles – all three of which she will
contest at the NCAA Championships.
CENTRAL REGION – Sara Wells, Wayne State
(Neb.)
Wells, a junior from Albion, Neb., was the NSIC champion
in the shot put in meet-record fashion and the discus, in addition
to placing eighth in the hammer throw. With a mark of 52-4 (15.95m)
in the shot put, she ranks No. 2 in Division II, while also
checking in at No. 4 in the discus at 164-0 (49.99m). She will
compete in both events at the NCAA Championships.
EAST REGION – Briana Conyers, New Haven
Conyers, a junior from Derby, Conn., won the heptathlon
and the triple jump at the Northeast-10 Championships, and finished
fourth in the 400-meter hurdles, eighth in the long jump and ran a
leg of the runner-up 4×100 relay. She is ranked 10th in the
triple jump with a leap of 41-1 (12.52m), and will contest the
event at the NCAA Championships.
MIDWEST
REGION – Kristen Hixson, Grand Valley State
Hixson, a senior from Remus, Mich., won the GLIAC title
in the pole vault and is the top-ranked vaulter in Division II. Her
14-4½ (4.28m) clearance at the GVSU Last Chance moved her up
to No. 4 on the all-time Division II list and No. 6 on the
all-college list for 2014. She has cleared heights of 14 feet or
better four times, and has won seven of her eight competitions. She
will compete in the event at the NCAA Championships.
SOUTH REGION – Euphemia Edem, Stillman
Edem, a junior from Murfreesboro, Tenn., won the SIAC
long jump and triple jump titles – the former with a mark of
20-½ (6.11m) to move to No. 4 among DII competitors in 2014.
Her SIAC meet also included a runner-up finish at 200 meters,
fourth at 100 meters and a winning 4×100 performance. She
finished the season ranked No. 2 in the triple jump with a mark of
42-2¼ (12.86m). She will contest both jumping events, along
with the 4×100 relay, at the NCAA Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION – Salcia Slack, New Mexico
Highlands
Slack, a junior from Kingston, Jamaica, broke the
Division II heptathlon record (current javelin) at the RMAC
Championships with a score of 5833 points as part of a phenomenal
weekend that saw her score 54 points for her team. She also won the
javelin, the 100-meter hurdles, and the triple jump, and finished
runner-up in the long jump and fifth in the shot put. She also ran
a leg of the runner-up 4×400. She will compete in the
heptathlon, long jump, triple jump and shot put at the NCAA
Championships.
SOUTHEAST REGION – Shelby Kennard, Queens
(N.C.)
Kennard, a senior from Rockwall, Texas, won the pole
vault at the SAC Championships. Her vault of 12-11¾ (3.96m)
at the Terrier Relays was the best in conference history and moved
her to No. 1 in the region and No. 7 in the nation. She will
contest the event at the NCAA Championships.
WEST REGION – Bethany Drake, Western
Washington
Drake, a sophomore from Sandy, Ore., has controlled the
javelin national descending order list for much of the season,
predominantly with a mark of 169-6 (51.66m) at the Puget Sound
Shotwell Invitational. The throw moved her up to No. 4 on the
all-time Division II list and No. 14 on the all-college list for
2014. She will compete in the event at the NCAA Championships.
MEN’S HEAD COACHES
ATLANTIC REGION – George Williams, Saint
Augustine’s|
Williams’ Falcons ran away with their
17th straight CIAA conference title this season and his squad
is ranked No. 1 in the nation heading into the NCAA Championships.
Williams is in his 26th year at the school.
CENTRAL REGION – Russ Jewett, Pittsburg State
Coach Jewett’s team won MIAA conference title by
28½ points this season for their third-consecutive title
outdoors. The MIAA Men’s Coach of the Year is in his
26th year at the school. Pittsburg State is ranked eighth
nationally.
EAST REGION – John Wallin, Southern
Connecticut
In his fifth year at No. 16 Southern Connecticut,
Wallin’s Alpha Owls won their 12th consecutive Northeast-10
Championship, and third All-Division New England title in four
years. Wallin’s athlete, Nick Lebron, won the prestigious
Penn Relays decathlon, as well as setting a New England meet record
in the decathlon this spring. SCSU currently has five men ranked in
the top 10 in Division II.
MIDWEST
REGION – Jerry Baltes – Grand Valley State
Baltes led the No. 7-ranked Lakers to the GLIAC title.
They finished the season ranked No. 1 in the region. Baltes is in
his 14th year at the school.
SOUTH REGION – Ken Taylor, Sr., Albany State
(Ga.)
Taylor’s squad was the SIAC team champions and he
was named the league’s Coach of the Year. Taylor is in his
14th year at the school.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION – Ryan Dall, Texas
A&M-Kingsville
The Javelina men won their first Lone Star Conference
Championship since 1970 under Dall in his sixth year at the school.
The team scored 175 points to win the meet by a 22-point margin
while winning eight individual titles and a relay crown. The
Javelinas are currently ranked fourth in the national team
rankings. Team members Jeron Robinson, Jordan Yamoah and Tim Price
are all currently ranked No. 1 in their respective events and six
other athletes are ranked in the top ten of their events.
SOUTHEAST REGION – Matthew van Lierop, Mount
Olive
Mount Olive claimed the Conference Carolinas title for
the third time over a four year span for van Lierop in his sixth
year. Dylan Lafond will represent the team at the NCAA
Championships in the 5000 meters.
WEST REGION – Oliver Hanf, Chico State
Hanf, in his 17th year at Chico State, has the
fourth-ranked team in the country. As the CCAA Men’s Coach of
the Year, he led his squad to an 11th-consecutive conference crown
with 266 team points and a 100-point victory margin. The team will
have 10 entries into the NCAA Championships.
WOMEN’S HEAD COACHES
ATLANTIC REGION -Lennox Graham, Johnson C. Smith
Graham, in his seventh year at Johnson C. Smith, led his
squad to the CIAA conference title and are ranked fourth in the
country. Samantha Elliott leads the country in the 400 meter
hurdles and is third nationally in the 100 meter hurdles. Danielle
Williams is the top seed in the 100 meter hurdles heading into the
NCAA Championships. In total, the squad has six qualified for the
national meet.
CENTRAL REGION – Michael Thorson, U-Mary
Coach Mike Thorson led the Marauder women to their third
consecutive NSIC crown and their sixth in the last eight years.
Scoring 169.33 points and winning by more than 40 points,
Thorson’s student-athletes won eight conference crowns.
U-Mary has five qualified for the NCAA Championships.
EAST REGION – Karen Boen – Stonehill
Boen, in her 16th year as Stonehill coach, led her
team to the Northeast-10 title for the first time in the history of
the program. Four student-athletes won conference titles for her
team and two qualified for the NCAA Championships.
MIDWEST
REGION – Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State
Baltes led his team to its 15th straight GLIAC crown
in his 14th year at the helm. GVSU is ranked second nationally
and has 28 entries to the national championships.
SOUTH REGION – Frank Hyland, Benedict
Hyland, in his 10th year at Benedict, has two
competitors qualified for the NCAA Championships. His squad placed
runner-up in the SIAC Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION – Bob DeVries, New Mexico
Highlands
DeVries, in his 22nd year with New Mexico Higlands,
was named RMAC Women’s Coach of the Year after helping the
Cowgirls finish second at the RMAC Championships with a
school-record 170 points. He also oversaw Highlands rise to ninth
in the country, its best outdoor school ranking in school history.
Two different athletes lead the nation in their respective events,
including Salcia Slack being more than 600 points better than her
nearest competitor in the heptathlon. Slack is also entered in the
long jump, triple jump, and shot put at the NCAA Championships. In
total, NMHU has 11 entries to the NCAA Championships.
SOUTHEAST REGION – Jim Vahrenkamp, Queens
(N.C.)
Vahrenkamp, in his second year at the helm, led his team
in capturing the SAC conference championship, the first track and
field championship in school history. The team has two
student-athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships
WEST REGION – Diljeet Taylor, Cal State
Stanislaus
Taylor’s squad qualified eight into the NCAA
Championships, including 1500 meter national leader Courtney
Anderson. The team finished third at the CCAA Championships, the
best in school history.
MEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Doug Knol, Shippensburg
Knol, Shippensburg’s sprints and hurdles coach in
his 21st year, had squad members win six of seven sprint and
hurdle titles in the PSAC, contributing 92 points to the team
cause. The 4×400 squad set all-time PSAC record of
3:11.28.
CENTRAL REGION – Brian Mantooth, Pittsburg
State
Under the guidance of Coach Mantooth, the throwers scored
62 of Pitt State’s 145 points at the MIAA Championship and
were instrumental in the team’s victory. Pitt State qualified
three student-athletes in the discus, two in the shot put, and one
in the javelin for the upcoming NCAA Championships.
EAST REGION – William “Bill”
Sutherland, Southern Connecticut
Sutherland’s throwers dominated the Northeast-10
this season, scoring 93 points to help the SCSU Alpha Owls win
their 12th-consecutive crown. Athletes set NE-10 records in both
the shot put and hammer for 23rd-year coach Sutherland. The squad
qualified two in the hammer, one in the discus, and one in the shot
put for the NCAA Championships.
MIDWEST
REGION – David Smalley – Ashland
Smalley, in his 23rd year at Ashland as sprints,
relays, and hurdles coach, qualified five student-athletes for the
NCAA Championships – including both relays. Elijah Owens, the
GLIAC Runner of the Year, is ranked in the national top 10 in both
the 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles.
SOUTH REGION – Fatimah Shabazz, Kentucky State
Shabazz, in her third year at Kentucky State as distance
and throws coach, led three athletes that broke school records at
this year’s SIAC Outdoor Championships. In addition, her
event areas scored 65 of the school-record 116 points at the SIAC
Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION – Matt Gersick, Adams
State
Coach Gersick, in his third year at Adams State, led his
throwers to 71 points at the RMAC Outdoor Championships. Coach
Gersick personally coached the RMAC Men’s Outdoor Athlete of
the Meet, Wesley Lavong, who set a new RMAC and school record in
the shot put. His throw at the RMAC Championships of 64-11½
(19.80m) ranks Lavong No. 1 in the nation in the shot put.
SOUTHEAST REGION – Travis LeFlore –
Wingate
LeFlore, in his second year at Wingate coaching jumps and
sprints, assisted in coaching the team as it won the inaugural
South Atlantic Conference Championship.
WEST REGION – David Burnett, Western
Washington
Burnett’s athletes accounted for 61 points in
sprints, hurdles, relays, and mid-distance events to help the
Viking men to the team title at the GNAC Conference
Championships.
WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
ATLANTIC REGION – Larry Moore, Johnson C.
Smith
Moore, in his seventh year with the team as throws
assistant, helped the JCSU squad to a CIAA crown and No. 1 Atlantic
Region ranking.
CENTRAL REGION – Brett Suckstorf, Wayne State
(Neb.)
Athletes coached by Suckstorf, in his fourth year at the
school, hit three NCAA automatic qualifying marks and eight NCAA
provisional marks this season. His athletes scored 59 of the
team’s 60 points at NSIC Championships. Throws account for
seven of Wayne State’s entries into the NCAA
Championships.
EAST REGION – Joseph Van Gilder, Southern
Connecticut
Van Gilder, in his second year at SCSU, had two sprinters
surpassing previous SCSU records in the 100, 200, 4×100, and
4×400. His sprint ladies helped SCSU to a runner-up finish at
the NE-10 Championships, as well as a runner-up finish at the All
New England Championships. His team also broke the New England meet
record in the 4×100 relay. The team has six entries into the
NCAA Championships in the sprints, including both relays.
MIDWEST
REGION – Nick Polk, Grand Valley State
Polk, in his fourth year as assistant distance coach at
GVSU, had athletes score 37 points at the GLIAC Championships. The
Lakers have nine entries into the NCAA Championships in distance
events.
SOUTH REGION – Soyini Thompson,
Alabama-Huntsville
Thompson, in her 11th year, helped coach her team
team to the top ranking in the region, and to a team championship
in the Peach Belt Conference. Coached national provisional
qualifiers at 100 meters and in both the 400-meter hurdles, and the
4×100 relay.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION – Yuriy Litvinski, Angelo
State
In his first year as the assistant track and field coach
for Angelo State, Litvinski assisted the Rams to a runner-up finish
at the Lone Star Championships, where his student-athletes captured
two event titles. Eight of his student-athletes in the horizontal
and high jumps, sprints, hurdles and multi-events qualified into
the NCAA Championships.
SOUTHEAST REGION – Tsehaye Baney, Queens
(N.C.)
Baney, in the second year as distance coach at Queens,
coached the top-ranked athletes in the region in the steeplechase,
5000 meters, and 10,000 meters. Her athletes accounted for 46
points at the SAC Championships, assisting the squad to its first
conference crown. Andrea Guerra will represent the Queens’
distance crew at the NCAA Championships.
WEST REGION – Manny Trevino, Chico State
Trevino, in his 12th year as sprints coach at Chico
State, led the women’s 4×100 team to a school record
time of 46.50. The same crew won the CCAA title for the first time
in school history and qualified for the NCAA Championships.