Courtesy of Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA
NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season were announced Friday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) received two athlete awards along with three coach of the year honors.
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.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
MIDWEST REGION — Emily Oren — Hillsdale
Oren, a junior from Holland, Michigan, finished the regular season as the top DII woman in not one, not two, but three different distance events: the 1500, 5000 and 3000-meter steeplechase. She became the third-fastest woman in DII history in the steeplechase at 10:04.79, and ran the ninth-fastest 1500 in DII history in 4:18.16. She’ll contest both of those at NCAAs, but not the 5000. She claimed the GLIAC title in that event, as well as the steeplechase in 10:05.05 to give her the fifth- and sixth-fastest times in DII history.
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
MIDWEST REGION — Justin Welch — Findlay
Welch, a senior from Luckey, Ohio, is the No. 1 hammer thrower in NCAA DII to go along with a No. 2 rank in the discus and a No. 31 showing in the shot put. With a hammer mark of 229-5 (69.94m), he’s ranked No. 6 among all collegians in 2015. He earned GLIAC Field Athlete of the Meet honors with titles in the hammer and discus, following up on his Penn Relays hammer title.
WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR
MIDWEST REGION — Andrew Towne — Hillsdale
Towne, in his fourth year at Hillsdale, led a significant turnaround for the Chargers in 2015. After scoring just 44 points at the GLIAC Championships in 2014, his women scored 109½ to finish runner-up for the best team finish since 2003. A total of nine of his athletes and relays recorded top-five finishes at the GLIAC Championships. His team has been ranked in the top 15 nationally all season, and will send eight entries to the NCAA Championships.
MEN'S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
MIDWEST REGION — Derrick Vicars — Findlay
Vicars, in his second year coaching throws at Findlay, guided his athletes to 38 points at the GLIAC Championships, with wins in the shot put, hammer and discus. The latter two came courtesy of his top athlete Justin Welch, who is No. 1 and No. 2 in the country in those respective events, and was named Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year. Of Findlay’s 12 entries into the NCAA Championships, six are throwers coached by Vicars.
WOMEN'S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
MIDWEST REGION — Joe Lynn — Hillsdale
Hillsdale’s distance women have posted a huge range of excellent performances this season. Under Lynn, Emily Oren has run Division II’s fastest times in the 5000 and steeplechase, and two other distance women are qualified for the national meet. Oren’s 10:04.79 steeple makes her the third fastest steepler in DII history. This is Lynn’s first season coaching the distance events at Hillsdale, and his athletes account for four of Hillsdale’s eight NCAA Championships entries.
