Thursday, March 17, 2011

Will Leer (Pomona-Pitzer, Claremont) DIII National Men's Athlete of the Year 2007

D-III National Athletes of the Year are Scheetz, Miller, Pavlus, Schaffer



March 17, 2011



NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces the National Athletes of the Year for the 2011 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season. Amherst’s Ben Scheetz, the NCAA D-III 800-meter champ, was named National Men’s Athlete of the Year while Ethan Miller of Central (Iowa) was named National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for his meet-best 26-point showing at the national championships. Wendy Pavlus of St. Lawrence won her second-straight 5000-meter title indoors and was named the National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. Moravian’s Abigail Schaffer broke NCAA D-III all-time and meet records in the pole vault and earned National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year credits.





National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year

Ben Scheetz, Amherst



Scheetz, a junior from Lancaster, Pa., became the first from Amherst to win an NCAA title in the 800 meters (1:51.26), but had to do so by out-leaning Wabash’s Jake Waterman who was just six hundredths of a second behind (1:51.32). Earlier in the day at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Scheetz placed fourth in the open 400 meters with a time in the finals of 48.66, and later in the day, Scheetz anchored the 4x400 relay to a sixth-place finish.



Recent Winners:

2011: Ben Scheetz, Amherst

2010: Delannie Spriggs, Salisbury

2009: Willy Kaul, UW Oshkosh

2008: Peter Kosgei, Hamilton

2007: Will Leer, Pomona-Pitzer

2006: Bobby Young, Lincoln (Pa.)





National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year

Ethan Miller, Central (Iowa)



Miller, a junior from Seymour, Iowa, scored 26 points at the NCAA Championships, leading the way for the Dutch to finish as the national team runner-up with 44 points, just a point behind podium-topper North Central (Ill.). Miller won the NCAA crown in the high jump with a meet-best clearance of 6-11 (2.11m) and also added runner-up showings in the long jump (23-8¾, 7.23m) and pentathlon (3,797). Miller is the first from Central College to win the indoor national high jump crown.



Miller was the IIAC Champ in the pentathlon and open long jump and added a second-place in the triple jump and a third in the high jump.



Recent Winners:

2011: Ethan Miller, Central (Iowa)

2010: Jake Winder, North Central (Ill.)

2009: Todd Wildman, Trinity (Texas)

2008: Al Winsley, Mississippi College

2007: Brandon Houle, UW Oshkosh

2006: Uzoma Orji, MIT







National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year

Wendy Pavlus, St. Lawrence



Pavlus, a senior from Tupper Lake, N.Y., won the NCAA D-III indoor national crown in the 5000 meters for the second-straight year. In this year’s contest, Pavlus won by nearly eight seconds over Johns Hopkins’ Christina Valerio. Pavlus is the first back-to-back titlist in the event since Carter Hamill of Amherst (2004 and 2005).



Pavulus reset the ECAC D-III record in the 5000 and won conference 800 and mile titles at the Liberty League Championships.



Recent Winners:

2011: Wendy Pavlus, St. Lawrence

2010: Marie Borner, Bethel (Minn.)

2009: Amanda LaRocca, Illinois Wesleyan

2008: Stephanie Herrick, TCNJ

2007: Marcia Taddy, UW Platteville

2006: Amy Ruston, Lehman





National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year

Abigail Schaffer, Moravian



Schaffer, a junior from Easton, Pa., reset the NCAA D-III all-time and meet records with a winning clearance of 13-8¼ (4.17m) in the pole vault. For Schaffer, it was her first national crown and second-straight for Moravian in the event. Schaffer came into the meet tied with MIT’s Karin Fisher with the D-III’s season best and former division record of 13-6¼ (4.12m). Schaffer also was the pole vault champ at the Landmark Conference Championships.



Recent Winners:

2011: Abigail Schaffer, Moravian

2010: Kristen Bates, Messiah

2009: Caitlin Schetter, UW La Crosse

2008: Caitlin Schetter, UW La Crosse

2007: Alecia Watson, CCNY

2006: Robyn Jarocki, UW Oshkosh











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Tom Lewis

U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association

Communications Manager

1100 Poydras St., Suite 1750

New Orleans, LA 70163

(O) 504-599-8904 (F) 504-599-8909

Email: tom@ustfccca.org

Follow Us: twitter.com/USTFCCCA

1500 Meters
3:37.26 Will Leer USA 15/04/1985 3 Los Angeles (OC), CA 22/05/2010

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