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USTFCCCA Women's Regional Award Winners
Women’s Division II Region Outdoor Award Winners Released
May 20, 2011
NEW ORLEANS -- The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Friday winners of regional awards for the 2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season. As selected by coaches in the respective regions, sixteen female student-athletes earned awards as a track or field Athlete of the Year while 16 USTFCCCA members earned plaudits as a coach or assistant coach of a women’s team.
Most of the award winners will participate in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held next weekend, May 26-28, in Turlock, Calif. Cal State Stanislaus will serve as host on at their home Al Brenda Track at Warrior Stadium.
2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field – Region Award Winners
Women's Track Athlete of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION - Neely Spence -
Shippensburg
The junior from Shippensburg, Pa., set a new NCAA Division II
all-time best in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:33.83. Spence
won PSAC Championships in the 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters, and 5,000
meters to score 30 team points. Spence will focus her efforts on
the 5,000 meters at next weekend’s NCAA Division II Outdoor
Track & Field Championships, in which she has the top-ranked
entering time.
CENTRAL REGION - Kristi Buerkle - Bemidji
State
Buerkle has the fourth-fastest entering time in the 400 meters
heading into this weekend’s NCAA Division II Championships,
an automatic-qualifying time of 54.66. Buerkle won the 200 meters
and 400 meters at the NSIC Championships and ran on the
school’s second-place 4x400-meter relay and fourth-place
4x100-meter relay. She is a senior from Stacy, Minn.
EAST REGION - Shannon Gagne - New Haven
Gagne has national top-ten performances this season in the 200
meters and 400 meters, and she is the 2011 Northeast-10 Conference
champion in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and as a member of New
Haven’s 4x100-meter relay. A senior from Meriden, Conn.,
Gagne will compete in both the 200 meters and the 400 meters at
this weekend’s NCAA Division II Championships.
MIDWEST REGION - Monica Kinney - Grand Valley
State
Kinney, a junior, capped a strong regular season with a GLIAC
championship in the 1,500 meters. Earlier in the season, she
recorded the second-fastest times in NCAA Division II in both the
1,500 meters and the 5,000 meters, and she will compete in both
events at this weekend’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Track &
Field Championships. Kinney is from Walker, Mich.
SOUTH REGION - Camille Clemmons-James -
Benedict
Clemmons-James, a junior from Columbia, S.C., captured three school
records during the 2011 regular season, rewriting the school bests
for 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters. Her time in the 400
meters ranks fifth overall in NCAA Division II headed into the
Championships. At the 2011 SIAC Championships, she finished second
in the 100 meters and fourth in the 200 meters.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - Judith Riley - Lincoln
(Mo.)
The junior from Manchester, Jamaica, was high point winner at the
MIAA Championships with 30 team points. She broke the conference
record in winning the 100-meter hurdles, and she also scored
individual wins in the 100 meters and 200-meters. Riley has the
top-ranked time in the 100 meters heading into the NCAA Division II
Championships, and she will also compete in the 200 meters and as a
member of Lincoln’s top-ranked 4x100-meter relay.
SOUTHEAST REGION - Kate Griewisch -
Lenoir-Rhyne
Griewisch reset the Lenoir-Rhyne record books this season with her
performances in the 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, and 10,000 meters.
She will focus on the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Division II Outdoor
Track & Field Championships, an event in which she has the
sixth-fastest entering time. Griewisch is a junior from Banner Elk,
N.C.
WEST REGION - Sarah Porter - Western
Washington
The senior from Hockinson, Wash., will attempt the distance double
at this weekend’s NCAA Division II Championships, as she has
the fastest-entering time in the 10,000 meters and the
third-fastest time in the 5,000 meters, a new school record. Porter
won the 2011 GNAC title in the 10,000 meters and finished second in
the 1,500 meters, breaking another school record in the
process.
Women's Field Athlete of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION - Xahnn George-Reid - Johnson C.
Smith
George-Reid, a sophomore from Clarendon, Jamaica, scored a
wind-aided season’s best in the long jump of 19-6¼
(5.95m) on the final weekend of the season to claim a spot as the
seventh seed into the NCAA Championships. George-Reid also finished
the season in the nation’s top 20 in the high jump with a 5-7
(1.70m) clearance. In the CIAA Championships, George-Reid claimed a
third place finish in the long jump and sixth in the high jump.
CENTRAL REGION - Mary Theisen - Winona State
Theisen, a sophomore from Eau Claire, Wis., enters the NCAA Championships as the top-ranked athlete in the discus, having claimed a throw of 176-3 (53.72m) to win the NSIC title. Theisen also qualified for the NCAA meet in the shot put and will be the sixth seed with a season’s best of 49-5 (15.06m). Theisen was also the winner of the NSIC shot put crown.
EAST REGION - Alyssa Hudgins - Georgian
Court
Hudgins, a sophomore from Highland Park, N.J., finished the season
as the region’s number one discus thrower with a
season’s best of 138-3 (42.14m) and ranked second in the shot
put and fourth in the hammer throw. Hudgins was the CTC champ of
the shot put and discus and runner-up with the hammer.
MIDWEST REGION - Sam Lockhart - Grand Valley State
Lockhart, a sophomore from Lansing, Mich., is entered in the NCAA Championships with top four seeds in both the shot put and discus. In the discus, Lockhart has the nation’s second-best throw of 171-11 (52.42m) and claimed a GLIAC title in the event. With the shot, Lockhart put to a mark of 49-10 (15.19m) and was the conference runner-up in the event.
SOUTH REGION - Antoinette Oglesby - Fort Valley State
Oglesby, a senior from Athens, Ga., is entered in both the long and triple jumps at the NCAA Championships. Her season’s best in the triple jump of 42-2¾ (12.87m) won the collegiate division of the Penn Relays and is the No. 2 seed for the NCAA meet. In the long jump, Oglesby claimed a jump of 19-6¼ (5.95m) in the final weekend of the season to rank seventh in the country.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - Lindsay Lettow - Central
Missouri
Lettow, a junior from Urbandale, Iowa, qualified and is entered in
a meet-best five events for the NCAA Championships. Among the five
events is the heptathlon in which she is the national leader by
over 300 points after scoring a season-best 5,610 points in March.
Field-event wise, Lettow has also qualified for the NCAAs in the
long jump, in which she is the fifth seed, and the high jump, where
she has cleared 5-8 (1.73m).
SOUTHEAST REGION - Katherine Davis - UNC
Pembroke
Davis, a senior Hampstead, N.C., finished the season ranked in the
nation’s top 25 in the hammer throw with a season’s
best of 172-11 (52.72m) and in the top 40 in the discus. Davis
helped UNC Pembroke to a second-place team finish at the Southeast
Regional Invitational with a title in the discus and a third-place
showing the shot put.
WEST REGION - Na'i Leni - Cal State LA
Leni, a junior from Carson, Calif., is the division’s top-ranked athlete in the shot put heading into the NCAA Championships with a season’s best of 51-1 (15.57m). Leni also is the fourth seed in the discus at the national championships with a year’s best of 168-1 (51.23m). Leni was the CCAA champion of the shot and discus.
Women's
Assistant Coach of the Year
In Division II, awards for assistant coach of
the year are judged based on both indoor and outdoor
seasons.
ATLANTIC REGION - Larry Moore - Johnson C.
Smith
The throws coach assisted the Lady Bulls to their first CIAA Team
Championship and a fifth national ranking during the outdoor season
following a seventh-place finish as a team at the Indoor NCAA
Championships.
CENTRAL REGION - Mike Turgeon - Winona
State
During the indoor season, Warrior throwers placed top three in the
weight, including six of the top eight, and top two in the shot put
at conference. His throwers earned three All-American honors. This
outdoor season, Turgeon’s throwers scored 80 points at NSIC
Championships including winning three of the four throws events, a
conference record in the discus, and scoring six of the top eight
places in the discus. The seventh-year coach has seven athletes
competing at the Championships including the top ranked discus
thrower.
EAST REGION - Mustafa Abdur-Rahim - Southern
Connecticut
Abdur-Rahim is in his second season working with the SCSU sprinters
and jumpers. At the Northeast-10 Championships, his athletes scored
a total of 47 points in the jumps and two have earned entries to
the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
MIDWEST REGION - Cory Young - Grand Valley
State
GVSU throwers accounted for 30 points of the 83 the Lakers scored
for the NCAA Indoor Championships, including a 1-2 finish in the
shot put. The fourth-year coach also had athletes go 1-2 in the
indoor shot put, and 3-4-7 in the weight throw. Recently, his
throwers scored 55 points at the outdoor GLIAC Championships and
six will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
SOUTH REGION - Kasia Williams - Nova
Southeastern
In her first year with the Sharks, Williams coached three champions
to help the team finish third at the Outdoor South Regional
Championships. Her 4x400-meter team is currently ranked second and
the squad’s 4x100 is ranked fourth nationally in addition to
the three individual entries to the NCAA Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - Chris Richardson -
Neb.-Omaha
In his fifth year with the Mavs, Richardson had Indoor Conference
champions in the four events, including the long, triple, and high
jumps as well as the shot put. At the indoor nationals, those four
athletes combined for 26 of UNO's 29 points for an NCAA fifth-place
team finish. So far this outdoor season, his athletes have set five
UNO school records on route to earning four NCAA entries.
SOUTHEAST REGION - Jason Bryan - Anderson
(S.C.)
The middle and long distance coach has one student-athlete
competing in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor
Championships.
WEST REGION - Octavious Gillespie-Bennett - Cal State
LA
In just his first season with the Golden Eagles, this field event
coach had an athlete earn All-American honors in the pentathlon.
Leading into the outdoor championships, he has two NCAA Qualifiers
in three events, including the national top seed in the shot put.
At the recent CCAA Conference Championships, two athletes brought
home the title and four earned All-CCAA honors.
Women's Coach of the Year
ATLANTIC REGION - Dave Osanitsch -
Shippensburg
Scoring in 18 of 22 events with 34 place winners, Osanitsch’s
Lady Raiders claimed the PSAC title. Shippensburg finished the
regular season ranked second in the Atlantic region and
14th in the national rankings and will be represented by
six entries in the NCAA Championship meet.
CENTRAL REGION - Tracy Hellman - Augustana
(S.D.)
Tracy Hellman led the Augustana Lady Vikings to the NSIC
conference title with a school record 162 pts. Hellman coached six
individual conference champions. There were five school records set
during outdoor season. Hellman’s 13th ranked team
will compete with six entries at the NCAA nationals.
EAST REGION - Kevin LaSure - New Haven
LaSure's Chargers placed second at the NE-10 meet and completed the
regular season ranked third in the region. The New Haven Lady
Chargers will have five entries at the NCAA Championship meet.
MIDWEST REGION - Jerry Baltes - Grand Valley
State
Jerry Baltes’ GVSU Lakers claimed their 12th-straight GLIAC
title with a 126-point margin of victory. Ranked No. 1 in the
USTFCCCA National Rankings, GVSU will be competing with 26 entries
at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
SOUTH REGION - Steve Guymon - Harding
Guymon’s Lady Bisons won the 2011 South Regional Invitational
scoring 220 points with 18 women. The team is ranked fourth in the
final rankings of the South Region.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - Victor Thomas - Lincoln
(Mo.)
Victor Thomas guided the Blue Tigers to the MIAA title winning by
49½ points and was named MIAA Coach of the Year.
Lincoln will be competing with 17 entries at the NCAA Championship
meet including seven athletes with automatic times and the top
ranked 4x100-meter team in the nation and third ranked team in the
4x400-meter relay. Lincoln claimed six MIAA Track Athlete of
the Week honors during the season. The team ranks No. 1 in the
South Central region and No. 2 nationally.
SOUTHEAST REGION - Matthew van Lierop – Mount
Olive
Named the Conference Carolinas Coach-of-the-Year, van Lierop guided
the Lady Trojans to the Conference Carolinas Championship. Ranked
first in the region in the final USTFCCCA ranking, the Lady Trojans
established sixteen school records in 2011.
WEST REGION - Karl Lerum - Seattle Pacific
Lerum’s Seattle Pacific Falcons won their second straight
GNAC team title by scoring 206½ points. The nationally
eighth-ranked Falcons crowned seven GNAC champions and will be
represented with eight entries at the NCAA Championship meet.
