Division I XC Regional Athletes & Coaches of the Year Announced for 2016 Season

By Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA

November 15, 2016   

NEW ORLEANS – Region Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2016 NCAA Division I Cross Country season were announced Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), as voted on by the Division’s coaches.
More information on each of the winners can be found below.
QUICK LINKS
MEN: Region Athletes of the Year | Region Coaches of the Year
WOMEN: Region Athletes of the Year | Region Coaches of the Year
Award History: Athlete | Coach
The NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships will be contested November 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana. The meet will be broadcast live online via NCAA.com.

MEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

GREAT LAKES (DAN MCCLIMON AWARD) – MORGAN MCDONALD, WISCONSIN
McDonald, a junior from Sydney, Australia, finished runner-up in the Great Lakes Region in 30:21.8 as he crossed the line side-by-side with teammate Malachy Schrobilgen. McDonald won the Big Ten Championships individual title.
MID-ATLANTIC (CHARLES WERNER AWARD) – PATRICK TIERNAN, VILLANOVA
Tiernan, a senior from Toowoomba, Australia, won the Mid-Atlantic Region individual title in 20:30. He also won the BIG EAST Championships individual title.
MIDWEST (BILL BERGAN AWARD) – LUKE TRAYNOR, TULSA
Traynor, a senior from Glasgow, Scotland, won the Midwest Region individual title in 30:18.5. He also won the American Championships individual title.
MOUNTAIN – FUTSUM ZIENASELLASSIE, NORTHERN ARIZONA
Zienasellassie, a senior from Indianapolis, Indiana, won the Mountain Region individual title in 30:54.1. He also won the Big Sky Championships individual title.
NORTHEAST (FRED TOOTELL AWARD) – JUSTYN KNIGHT, SYRACUSE
Knight, a junior from Vaughan, Ontario in Canada, won the Northeast Region individual title in 30:30.6. He also won the ACC Championships individual title.
SOUTH – JACOB CHOGE, MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Choge, a freshman from Kapsabet, Kenya, won the South Region individual title in 30:19.8. He also claimed the individual title at the Conference-USA Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL – EMMANUEL ROTICH, TULANE
Rotich, a sophomore from Sotik, Kenya, won the South Central Region individual title in 29:58.9. He also finished third at the American Championships.
SOUTHEAST – AMON TERER, CAMPBELL
Terer, a senior from Eldoret, Kenya, won the Southeast Region individual title in 28:48.7. He also won the Big South Championships individual title.
WEST (JOHN CHAPLIN AWARD) – EDWARD CHESEREK, OREGON
Cheserek, a senior from Newark, New Jersey, won the West Region individual title in 29:23.7. He also won the Pac-12 Championships individual title.
 

WOMEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

GREAT LAKES – ERIN FINN, MICHIGAN
Finn, a senior from West Bloomfield, Michigan, won the Great Lakes Region individual title in 19:27.8. She also won the Big Ten Championships individual title.
MID-ATLANTIC – TESSA BARRETT, PENN STATE
Barrett, a sophomore from Waverly, Pennsylvania, won the Mid-Atlantic Region individual title in 20:00. She also finished third-place in the Big Ten.
MIDWEST – KARISSA SCHWEIZER, MISSOURI
Schweizer, a junior from Urbandale, Iowa, won the Midwest Region individual title in 19:54.4. She also won the SEC Championships individual title.
MOUNTAIN – ALICE WRIGHT, NEW MEXICOWright, a junior from Worcester, England, won the Mountain Region individual title in 19:59.9. She also won the Mountain West Championships individual title.
NORTHEAST – ELINOR PURRIER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Purrier, a junior from Montgomery, Vermont, won the Northeast Region individual title in 20:08.7. She also won the America East individual title.
SOUTH – ANNE-MARIE BLANEY, UCF
Blaney, a senior from Ocala, Florida, won the South Region individual title in 20:07.2. She also won the American Championships individual title.
SOUTH CENTRAL – DEVIN CLARK, ARKANSAS
Clark, a sophomore from Spring Branch, Texas, won the South Central Region individual title in 20:17.4. She also finished runner-up at the SEC Championships.
SOUTHEAST – ANNIE BOTHMA, COASTAL CAROLINA
Bothma, a freshman from Stellenbosch, South Africa, won the Southeast Region individual title in 20:15.4. She also won the Sun Belt Championships individual title.
WEST – AMY-ELOISE NEALE, WASHINGTON
Neale, a junior from Snohomish, Washington, won the West Region individual title in 19:27.8. She also won the Pac-12 Championships individual title.
 

MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR

GREAT LAKES (EARLE HAYES AWARD) – MICK BYRNE, WISCONSIN
Byrne, in his ninth year in charge at Wisconsin, led his team to the Great Lakes Region with 51 points. His men also won the Big Ten Championships team title.
MID-ATLANTIC (HARRY GROVES AWARD) – AL CANTELLO, NAVY
Cantello, in his 49th year at Navy, led the Midshipmen to their first NCAA Championships appearance since 1997 with a runner-up finish in the Mid-Atlantic Region with 74 points. His men won the Patriot League Championships team title.
MIDWEST (ROY GRIAK AWARD) – JAKE STEWART, ILLINOIS
Stewart, in his fifth year in charge at Illinois, led the Illini to their first NCAA Championships appearance since 1986 as the team finished third in the Midwest Region with 113 points. His men also finished sixth at the Big Ten Championships.
MOUNTAIN (CHICK HISLOP AWARD) – ERIC HEINS, NORTHERN ARIZONAHeins, in his 10th year at the helm of the Northern Arizona program, led his team to the Mountain Region title with 60 points. His Lumberjacks also won the team title at the Big Sky Championships.
NORTHEAST (ROBERT GRIEVE AWARD) – CHRIS FOX, SYRACUSE
Fox, in his 12th year leading the Syracuse program, led his team to the Northeast Region title with 29 points. His men also won the team title at the ACC Championships.
SOUTH (DAVE WALKER AWARD) – RYAN VANHOY, MISSISSIPPI
Vanhoy, in his fourth year in charge at Mississippi, led his team to the South Region title with 46 points. His men also finished as runners-up in the team standings at the SEC Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL (JOHNNY MORRISS AWARD) – CHRIS BUCKNAM, ARKANSAS
Bucknam, in his ninth year leading the Arkansas men, guided his team to the South Central Region title with 40 points. His men also won the team title at the SEC Championships.
SOUTHEAST – ROLLIE GEIGER, NC STATE
Geiger, in his 39th year at the helm of the NC State men’s team, led his men to the Southeast Region title with 90 points. The Wolfpack also finished third in the team standings at the ACC Championships.
WEST (DEAN MILLER AWARD) – CHRIS MILTENBERG, STANFORD
Miltenberg, in his fifth season at Stanford, guided his team to the West Region title with 75 points. His Cardinal also finished as runners-up in the team standings at the Pac-12 Championships.
 

WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR

GREAT LAKES – MIKE MCGUIRE, MICHIGAN
McGuire, in his 25th year leading the Michigan women, guided his team to the Great Lakes Region title with 61 points. His Wolverines also won the team title at the Big Ten Championships.
MID-ATLANTIC – JOHN GONDAK, PENN STATE
Gondak, in his third year in charge of the Penn State program, led his team to the Mid-Atlantic Region title with 36 points. His Nittany Lions also finished runners-up in the team standings at the Big Ten Championships.
MIDWEST – MARC BURNS, MISSOURI
Burns, in his third year at Missouri, led his team to the Midwest Region with 83 points. His Tigers finished third in the team standings at the SEC Championships.
MOUNTAIN (PATRICK SHANE AWARD) – MARK WETMORE, COLORADO
Wetmore, in his 22nd year at Colorado, led his women’s team to the Mountain Region title with 35 points. His Buffaloes also won the team title at the Pac-12 Championships.
NORTHEAST (RAY TREACY AWARD) – RAY TREACY, PROVIDENCE
Treacy, in his 33rd year leading the Providence program, led his team to the Northeast Region title with 50 points. His Friars also won the team title at the BIG EAST Championships.
SOUTH – HOUSTON FRANKS, MISSISSIPPI STATE
Franks, in his eighth year in charge at Mississippi State, led his women’s team to the South Region title with 66 points. His Bulldogs also finished fourth in the team standings at the SEC Championships.
SOUTH CENTRAL – LANCE HARTER, ARKANSAS
Harter, in his 27th year leading the Arkansas women, guided his team to the South Central Region title with 48 points. His Razorbacks also won the team title at the SEC Championships.
SOUTHEAST (ROLLIE GEIGER AWARD) – LAURIE HENES, NC STATE
Henes, in her 11th year in charge of the NC State women, led her team to the Southeast Region title with 53 points. Her Wolfpack also won the team title at the ACC Championships.
WEST (TOM HEINONEN AWARD) – ELIZABETH DEBOLE, STANFORD
DeBole, in her first year helming the Stanford women’s team, led her women to the West Region title with 71 points. Her women finished third in the team standings at the Pac-12 Championships.