Don Strametz Named USTFCCCA West District Men's Coach of the Year
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Don Strametz Named USTFCCCA West District Men's Coach of the Year
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Cal State Northridge head track & field coach Don Strametz has been named West District Men's Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Strametz, the 2007 Big West Coach of the Year on the men's and women's side, led the Matadors to both conference team titles in May.
Release Courtesy of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
In recognition for their work in building first-rate programs in highly competitive conferences, Dave Cianelli of Virginia Tech and Ron Mann of Louisville are among the NCAA Division I District Coaches of the Year selected by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
USTFCCCA honors the top men’s and women’s coaches for the nine districts in Division I outdoor track and field.
Cianelli led Virginia Tech’s women to team championships at the Atlantic Coast Conference and East Regional meets. Mann guided Louisville’s men to its first-ever Big East Conference championship
District men’s and women’s track and field athletes of the year are listed at www.ustfccca.org. The NCAA Division I District Coaches of the Year (by region):
GREAT LAKES
Men’s Coach: Brad Fairchild, Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan nipped Akron by one point to win the Mid-American Conference men’s title as Fairchild was named the MAC Coach of the Year … The Eagles qualified four men for the NCAA Championships: Dave Adamek (shot put), Eric Alejandro (400 hurdles), Corey Nowitzke (steeplechase) and Josh Karanja (steeplechase)… Fairchild joined the EMU staff in 1983 and succeeded Bob Parks as head coach in 2002.
Women’s Coach: Joe Piani, Notre Dame
The Irish women won their first-ever Big East Conference outdoor title, scoring 120_ points to Louisville’s 106_ points … Big East Conference and Mideast Region champion Molly Huddle (5,000 meters) qualified for the NCAA Championships and is seeded second with a best of 15:32.83 … Huddle is just the second woman in Big East history to win four straight conference titles in one event … Jaclyn Espinoza qualified for nationals in the discus … This is Piani’s 33rd season at Notre Dame, making him the university’s longest active tenured coach.
MID-ATLANTIC
Men’s Coach: Joe Compagni, Monmouth
Monmouth won its fourth straight Northeast Conference men’s title as Compagni was named the NEC Coach of the Year for the seventh time … Monmouth’s Ed Skowronski qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw … Hawks finished first at the Lou Onesty/Milton Abramson Invitational in April … Compagni is in his 12th season as Monmouth’s head track and field and cross country coach.
Women’s Coach: Beth Alford-Sullivan, Penn State
Nittany Lions finished a close third at Big 10 Championships and finished the season ranked 20th in the country by the USTFCCCA … Penn State finished fourth in the East Region meet … Nittany Lions qualified eight women for the NCAA Championships, including Shana Cox, the second-seeded entrant in the 400 at 51.38 … Now in her eighth season at Penn State, Alford-Sullivan replaced USTFCCCA Hall of Famer Harry Groves as the head coach of the combined men’s and women’s programs in 2006.
MIDWEST
Men’s Coach: Martin Smith, Oklahoma
Guided the Sooners to their first Big 12 Conference men’s championships in 29 years … Oklahoma then won its first-ever Midwest Region title … Smith was named the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year … Sooners qualified 14 men for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, including both relay teams … Shardae Boutte (triple jump), Scott Martin (pole vault) and Kevin Bookout (shot put) are all ranked among the top six nationally in their events … Smith is in his second season at Oklahoma after a successful run at Oregon in which the Ducks won a Pacific-10 Conference men’s title.
Women’s Coach: Gary Winckler, Illinois
Illinois tied for the Big 10 Conference women’s championship with Michigan, the sixth of Winckler’s career … Illini will have six women competing in five events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, including Yvonne Mensah in the 4 x 100 relay and triple jump … Winckler is in his 22nd year as the head women’s track and field coach at Illinois.
MOUNTAIN
Men’s Coach: Greg Gensel, Utah State
Aggies won the Western Athletic Conference men’s title in just their second year in the WAC … Gensel was named the WAC Men’s Coach of the Year … DJ Smith won the 100 meters at the West Regional and will be joined at the NCAA Championships by Utah State teammates Dasheek Akwenye (400) and Nick Karren (400 hurdles) … Gensel is in his 26th year at Utah State.
Women’s Coach: Dave Nielsen, Idaho State
Coached the Bengals to their first-ever Big Sky Conference women’s outdoor championship … Nielsen was named the Big Sky Women’s Coach of the Year … Idaho State had 10 women compete in the West Regional in Eugene … Has coached 20 All-Americans during his 23 seasons in Pocatello … Nielsen is best known for coaching Stacy Dragila, the 2000 Olympic champion in the pole vault.
NORTHEAST
Men’s Coach: John Copeland, Rhode Island
Won Atlantic 10 and New England championships … Copeland was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year following the Rams’ sixth conference title in the last seven years … Rhode Island sprinter Ashhad Agyapong qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 and 200 meters … Rams set school records in two events at Penn Relays … Copeland is in his 20th year as the men’s track and field coach at Rhode Island.
Women’s Coach: Lou Duesing, Cornell
Big Red women won 10 of 23 events en route to sixth straight outdoor Heps title … Robyn Ellerbrook (steeplechase) and Morgan Uceny (1,500) won individual titles as Cornell finished fourth at ECAC/IC4A Championships … Seven Cornell women qualified for the NCAA Championships in eight events … This is Duesing’s 17th season as Cornell’s head coach.
SOUTH
Co-Men’s Coaches: Bob Braman, Florida State, and Bill Webb, Tennessee
Braman guided the top-ranked Seminoles to Atlantic Coast Conference and East Region championships … Entering the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Florida State has top-seeded athletes in the 100 and 200 (Walter Dix), 400 (Ricardo Chambers) and 4 x 100 relay … Dix set a collegiate record in the 200 (19.69) at the East Regional … Florida State won last year’s NCAA outdoor title, the first national championship in the history of the program … This is Braman’s fourth season as Florida State’s head coach.
Webb guided the fifth-ranked Volunteers to men’s team title in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference … Fourteen Tennessee men qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships … The Volunteers are seeded second in the 4 x 100 relay with a best of 38.91 … Webb is a renowned multi-event coach, and he has another standout in decathlete Chris Helwick (7,732 points) … Webb is in his 12th season as Tennessee’s head coach, leading the Volunteers to the NCAA outdoor title in 2001 and back-to-back NCAA indoor titles in 2002.
Women’s Coach: Wayne Norton, Georgia
Fifth-ranked Lady Bulldogs will send eight athletes to the NCAA Championships, including Jenny Dahlgren, the defending champion and collegiate record holder in the hammer … Five of Georgia’s NCAA qualifiers are ranked in the top eight nationally … Lady Bulldogs finished third in the Southeastern Conference Championships … Norton is in his eighth season as Georgia’s head coach.
SOUTH CENTRAL
Men’s Coach: John Sauerhage, Texas-Arlington
Mavericks won Southland Conference men’s title in dramatic fashion, finishing first in 4 x 400 relay to edge UT-San Antonio … Sauerhage’s men scored 100 points on the final day of SLC Championships to move past four teams into first … Qualified five men for the NCAA Championships in Sacramento: Jared Connaughton (200 and 4 x 100 relay), Coby Morrison (400 hurdles and relay), Jon McDowell (110 high hurdles), Byron Majors (relay) and Jarid Vaughan (relay) … Sauerhage is in 12th season as head coach at his alma mater, where he was an SLC champion in the mile run.
Co-Women’s Coaches: Pat Henry, Texas A&M, and Dennis Shaver, LSU
Henry led the Aggies to their first-ever women’s titles at the Big 12 indoor, Big 12 outdoor and Midwest Region meets … In just his third season in College Station after winning 12 NCAA women’s outdoor titles at LSU, Henry led Texas A&M to a No. 3 ranking in the final USTFCCCA poll … Qualified 15 women in 12 events for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento … Henry was named the NCAA Silver Anniversary Coach in celebration of 25 years of women competing in NCAA track and field competition.
Shaver is accompanying 19 Lady Tigers to Sacramento for the NCAA Championships, the largest contingent of any team … Second-ranked LSU won the Southeastern Conference and Mideast Regional championships, both by substantial margins … In seven events, LSU has entrants who rank in the top eight nationally … Nickiesha Wilson has the top time in the 400 hurdles (55.20), as does LSU’s 4 x 100 relay (43.26) … Shaver is in his third season as LSU’s head coach after spending nine years as an assistant under Pat Henry, now the head coach at Texas A&M.
SOUTHEAST
Men’s Coach: Ron Mann, Louisville
Won first men’s conference title in school history, scoring 142 points to finish first in Big East Conference … Qualified eight men for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, including NCAA indoor champions Tone Belt (long jump) and Andre Black (triple jump) … Belt and Black each qualified for outdoor nations in the long and triple jumps) … Cardinals finished the season ranked 14th in the country by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association … Mann is in his third season as Lousville’s coach following 24 seasons at Northern Arizona.
Women’s Coach: Dave Cianelli, Virginia Tech
Hokies won their program’s first-ever championships at Atlantic Coast Conference and East Regional meets … Eleven Hokies qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championship … In six events, Virginia Tech will have two competitors at nationals … Freshman Kristi Castlin broke the U.S. junior record in winning the 100 hurdles in 12.82 at the East Regional … Hokies enter NCAA meet ranked 16th in the country … Cianelli is in his sixth season as Virginia Tech’s head coach.
WEST
Men’s Coach: Don Strametz, Cal State Northridge
Qualified three men for the NCAA Championships, including DaShalle Andrews, who will compete in the long jump and triple jump … Matadors won the Big West Conference title with 165 points, edging UC Santa Barbara by 3_ points … Strametz was named Big West Coach of the Year for both men and women as Northridge women also won conference championship… Fifteen Northridge men qualified for the West Regionals … Strametz has coached the Cal State Northridge men for 21 seasons and the women for 26 years.
Women’s Coach: Greg Kraft, Arizona State
Sun Devils were ranked No. 1 by USTFCCCA throughout outdoor season after winning NCAA indoor title in March …. Kraft guided Arizona State to team victories in the Pacific-10 Conference and West Region Championships … Sun Devils will have 12 women competing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, with Sarah Stevens and Jessica Pressley each entered in three events (shot put, discus and hammer) … Jacquelyn Johnson is the defending champion in the heptathlon while Stevens has the nation’s best marks in the shot put (60-4_) and discus (189-5) … Kraft is in his 11th season at ASU.
- GO MATADORS -
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