By Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA
February 25, 2016
NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2016 NAIA Indoor Track & Field season were announced Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Each of the five regions 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. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
Many of the honored athletes and coaches will be in competition at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships set for next week, March 3-5, in Johnson City, Tennessee.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
GREAT LAKES – Harris Edwards III, Indiana TechEdwards, a senior from Grand Ledge, Michigan, is ranked No. 2 nationally both at 200 (21.23) and 400 meters (47.85 qualifying time), and No. 5 at 60 meters (6.76). He also ran a leg of the NAIA-leading 4×400 relay. At the WHAC Championships he won titles in the 60 and the 4×400 relay.
MIDWEST – Sam Wensink, Dordt (Iowa)
Wensink, a junior from Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, is ranked second nationally and first in the region at 1000 meters with a time of 2:28.55. He is also ranked sixth nationally and sixth in the region at 800 meters in 1:52.91.
SOUTH – Jordan Clarke, Webber International (Fla.)
Clarke, a junior from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will head to the NAIA Championships seeded No. 10 in the country both at 400 meters (49.14 converted qualifying time) and 600 meters (1:20.65 converted qualifying time). His raw times in both events (48.74 and 1:20.10) are both school records
SOUTH CENTRAL – Jacob Clark, Friends (Kan.)
Clark, a junior from Pleasantville, New Jersey, won four gold medals and scored 25 points to help his squad to its second straight KCAC Indoor Championships title. He won at both 600 and 1000 meters, and ran legs of the winning 4×400 and 4×800 relays. He is the NAIA leader at 1000 meters in 2:27.76, and is No. 8 at 600 meters and No. 9 at 800 meters – all of which are school records, and all of which he qualified to nationals for, in addition to the 4×800 and the DMR.
WEST – Sam Atkin, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
Atkin, a redshirt senior from Lincolnshire, Idaho, finished the regular season as the NAIA leader at 3000 meters in 8:24.00. He is also ranked No. 7 in the mile, and ran a leg of the No. 8 distance medley relay squad.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
GREAT LAKES – Sarah Dunmore, Indiana TechDunmore, a freshman from Los Angeles, California, is the national leader in the 60 (7.45) and third in the nation at 200 meters (24.72). She won WHAC titles in both of those events and helped lead the 4×400 team to victory as well.
MIDWEST – Kim Wood, Concordia (Neb.)
Wood, a senior from Greeley, Nebraska, is ranked No. 1 in the region and top-5 nationally in four events — 600, 800, 1000, mile. She broke GPAC meet records in three of those events — 600, 1000, mile — and was named the Outstanding Female Athlete of the Meet. Wood holds school records in the 600, 800, 1000 and mile and nabbed NAIA National Track Athlete of the Week honors on Jan. 20.
SOUTH – Hannah Segrave, Milligan (Tenn.)
Segrave, a junior from Middlesbrough, England, is ranked first nationally in the 800 and fifth in the mile. Her time in the 800 (2:06.50) is ranked 31st amongst all collegiate divisions.
SOUTH CENTRAL – Katherine Dillard, Benedictine (Kan.)
Dillard, a junior from Wichita, Kansas, was the HAAC Conference champion in three events — mile, 3000 and the 4×800. She also qualified for the NAIA Indoor Championships in those three events, as well as the 1000.
WEST – Leah Esposito – Carroll (Mont.)
Esposito, a junior from Clancy, Montana, owns NAIA’s best time in the mile with a converted 4:51.21 (4:57.63 ran at altitude). She is also the second fastest runner at 1000 meters, running a converted time of 2:52.75 (2:52.25 on a banked track).
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
GREAT LAKES – Alain Dixon, Indiana TechDixon, a redshirt sophomore from Oswego, Illinois, is ranked No. 1 nationally in the long jump at 7.62m (25-0), and No. 4 in the triple jump at 14.75m (48-4¾). He won the WHAC Conference title in the long jump.
MIDWEST – Zach Lurz, Concordia (Neb.)
Lurz, a redshirt junior from Chadron, Nebraska, captured the 2016 GPAC indoor shot put title with a meet record toss of 18.14m (59-3½). He also came through with a conference runner-up finish in the weight throw with a personal best mark of 19.32m (63-4¾). Lurz is the current 2016 NAIA indoor leader in the shot put at 18.14m (59-6¼)while ranking second nationally in the weight throw.
SOUTH – Tobias Durham, Warner (Fla.)
Durham, a freshman from Orlando, Florida, enters the NAIA Championships with the No. 6 seed in the triple jump via a season’s best performance of 14.53m (47-8). He finished runner-up at the NCCAA Indoor National Championships with that mark, as well as finishing third at 60 meters.
SOUTH CENTRAL – Trey Bellows, Friends (Kan.)
Bellows, a freshman from Glasco, Kansas, scored 20 points at the KCAC Indoor Championships to help his team defend its conference title, finishing runner-up in both the high jump and the triple jump to go along with a fifth-place long jump effort. He finished the season ranked No. 19 in the high jump at 2.01m (6-7), which was a new school record
WEST – Eric England, Eastern Oregon
England, a redshirt junior from Meridian, Idaho, is the NAIA leader in the triple jump with a school-record 15.71m (51-6½) and has been since mid-January. He is also ranked No. 13 in long jump at 7.08m (23-2¾), good for the second-best mark in school history.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
GREAT LAKES – Tia Holmes, Indiana TechHolmes, a sophomore from Richmond, Virginia, is the national leader in the long jump with a leap of 5.81m (19-0.75).
MIDWEST – Paige Hervert, Doane (Neb.)
Hervert, a freshman from Ravenna, Nebraska, is all over the national leaderboard. She is first in the pentathlon (3652 points), fourth in the high jump, 13th in the triple jump and 17th in the long jump. Hervert won the pentathlon at the GPAC meet and has eight first-place finishes this year alone.
SOUTH – Jonina Brinson, Mobile (Ala.)
Brinson, a sophomore from Swainsboro, Georgia, finished the regular season with national top-5 marks in the long jump and triple jump. Her long jump measurement of 5.74m (18-10) has her third nationally, while her triple jump of 11.69m (38-4.25) seeds her fifth.
SOUTH CENTRAL – Kaitlyn Keck, Friends (Kan.)
Keck, a senior from Haysville, Kansas, was named the KCAC Athlete of the Meet after scoring 38 points to lead her team to its second title in a row. She has set four school records this season, which include the pentathlon and triple jump. She is first in her region and top-5 nationally in the pentathlon and second in her region and 10th nationally in the triple jump.
WEST – Rebeccah Collier, Westmont (Calif.)
Collier, a junior from Riverside, California, is ranked second in the nation in the pentathlon (3590 points). Her mark of 1.72m (5-7.75) in the high jump has her ranked fourth nationally.
MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR
GREAT LAKES – Doug Edgar, Indiana TechEdgar, in his fifth year, has coached the Warrior men to the No. 1 rank both nationally and in the Great Lakes Region. He was named WHAC Coach of the Year after leading his squad to the conference title, and has guided his athletes to 32 automatic qualifying marks and 9 more “B” standard marks.
MIDWEST – Ed Fye, Doane (Neb.)
Fye, in his 14th year at Doane, coached his men’s team to the Great Plains Athletic Conference Championship for the ninth time in 10 years. His squad currently has 14 NAIA Top 10 performances currently in the national rankings and are ranked second nationally as a team. At the GPAC Championships, 25 men received 31 All-GPAC honors.
SOUTH – David Andrews, Webber International (Fla.)
Andrews, in his second second with the Warriors, has a squad that finished the season ranked No. 2 in the USTFCCCA South Region Rankings.
SOUTH CENTRAL – Damian Smithhisler, Friends (Kan.)
Smithhisler, in his fourth year at Friends, led his team to the KCAC championship for the second-straight year. The squad is currently ranked 11th in the latest national USTFCCCA team rankings with 11 men qualified in 12 individual and two relay events for the upcoming NAIA Indoor Championships.
WEST – Russell Smelley – Westmont (Calif.)
Smelley, in his 37th year in Westmont, has a team that finished ranked No. 1 in the region in USTFCCCA West Rankings. The Warriors are ranked 25th in the country in the latest USTFCCCA national team rankings.
WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR
GREAT LAKES – Doug Edgar, Indiana TechEdgar, in his fifth year, has coached the Warriors to the No. 1 rank both nationally and in the Great Lakes Region. He was named WHAC Coach of the Year after leading his squad to the conference title, and has guided his athletes to 33 automatic qualifying marks and 11 more “B” standard marks.
MIDWEST – Ed Fye, Doane (Neb.)
Fye, led his women’s squad to the Great Plains Athletic Conference title for the 20th time in 21 years. A total of 24 women earned 39 All-GPAC honors at the conference meet. There are currently 18 Top 10 performances on the national charts by the Doane women. Fye is in his 14th year at Doane.
SOUTH – David Andrews, Webber International (Fla.)
Andrews, in his second second with the Warriors, has a squad that finished the season ranked No. 2 in the USTFCCCA South Region Rankings.
SOUTH CENTRAL – Cole Davis, Friends (Kan.)
Davis, in his fifth year at Friends, led his squad to the KCAC indoor title to the second year in a row. The conference coach of the year, qualified 11 women in nine events for the NAIA Indoor Championships. They are ranked ninth nationally — the best ranking in school history.
WEST – Pat McCurry, College of Idaho
McCurry, in his 12th year at College of Idaho, has ninth-ranked nationally-ranked squad heading into the NAIA Championships. Among a dozen qualifiers to the NAIA Championships, McCurry has the second-ranked distance medley relay in the division.
MEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
GREAT LAKES – Austin Roark, Indiana TechRoark, in his second year coaching jumps for the Warriors, helped athletes to national top-20 performances in all four disciplines and 13 of those marks qualified for the NAIA Championships. His athletes hold the top-2 spots on the long jump list and has an athlete ranked No. 2 in both the triple jump and high jump. Athletes from Indiana Tech won WHAC titles in the high jump, long jump and triple jump in 2016.
MIDWEST – Ed McLaughlin, Concordia (Neb.)
McLaughlin, in his 18th year coaching throws for the Bulldogs, mentored Cody Boellstorff and Zach Lurz to the national lead in the weight throw and shot put, respectively. Those two are among the nine throwers from Concordia dotting the top-20 spots in the shot put and weight throw combined. At the GPAC Championships, the Bulldogs went 1-2-4-5-6-8 in the weight throw and 1-2-5-7-8 in the shot put.
SOUTH – Sam Roberts, Tennessee Wesleyan
Roberts, in this second season as the team’s sprints and hurdles coach, leads six qualifiers to the NAIA Championships. He led hurdler Chaz Hawkins to a top-10 ranking this indoor season and Cadarius Harris to a national-championship bid in the 60 meters. The coach also works with his squad’s DMR.
SOUTH CENTRAL – Dennis Smithhisler, Friends (Kan.)
Smithhisler, in his fourth year as the program’s middle- and long-distance coach, qualified eight men in seven events and two relays to the upcoming NAIA Championships. His team won KCAC conference crowns in six events, sweeping distances 400 to 1000, with 4×400 and 4×800 relay crowns to boot. School records were also set in those events this season.
WEST – Jeff Hoskisson, Eastern Oregon
Hoskisson, in his fourth year coaching sprints and jumps and hurdles coach at Eastern Oregon, mentored the top-ranked and eight-ranked triple jumpers, 13th-ranked long jumper and has a qualifier in the 60. Three of Hoskisson’s athletes qualified for the NAIA Championships.
WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
GREAT LAKES – Nick Sharin, Indiana TechSharin, in his fifth year coaching sprints with the Warriors, has 20 athletes projected to qualify for the NAIA Championships. He mentored the national leader in the 60 (Sarah Dunmore) and has seven of the top-16 in that event. His athletes in the 200 have seven of the top-16 marks and three of his 400-meter runners are in the top-20. Indiana Tech’s 4×400 team is ranked fourth in the nation.
MIDWEST – Ed McLaughlin, Concordia (Neb.)
McLaughlin, in his 18th year coaching throwers at Concordia (Neb.), guided his women to a dominant showing at the GPAC Indoor Championships. Led by Stephanie Coley and Kali Robb, Concordia throwers went 1-3-4 in the shot put and 1-3-5-6 in the weight throw. Concordia enters the NAIA Championships with the No. 1 and 2 spots on the national shot put list – and three of the top six – as well as three of the top seven weight throwers.
SOUTH – Ryan McKenzie, William Carey (Miss.)
McKenzie, in his second year as sprints and jumps coach with the Crusaders, helped two sprinters hit top-20 performances nationally in the 60 — Annie Cooks is currently 14th, while Mia Bridges is 17th.
SOUTH CENTRAL – Remuro Henry, Wayland Baptist (Texas)
Henry, in his first year guiding the WBU sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers, has already put his athletes at or near the top of the national lists. Alexis Browner, Rochene Smith and Gregria Higgs are 1-2-4 at 200 meters; Smith is No. 2 at 60 meters, leading a trio of Wayland Baptist sprinters in the top eight nationally; and Bianca Farrington is ranked No. 2 at 400 meters. Combined, his sprinters have the nation’s top 4×400 relay.
WEST – Joshua Priester, Westmont (Calif.)
Priester, in his fourth year guiding Westmont’s combined-event athletes and high jumpers, mentored Becky Collier to the NAIA No. 2 pentathlon score at 3590 and a share of the No. 4 spot on the high jump list at 1.72m (5-7¾).
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