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Ivy League Well Represented On USTFCCCA Region Awards
Story courtesy of the USTFCCCA.
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The U.S. Track & Field and
Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Monday
the association’s Region Athletes and Coaches of the Year for
the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field season. The Ivy
League was well-represented, as four student-athletes players and
four coaches received awards.
Voted on by the nation’s coaches, many of these athletes and
coaches will participate in this upcoming weekend’s final
site of the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, June 6-9.
NCAA.com and ESPN3.com will carry live coverage starting Wednesday.
ESPNU will air live coverage on Saturday, June 9, starting at Noon,
eastern.
Men’s Track Athlete of the Year
MID-ATLANTIC REGION – Donn Cabral –
Princeton
Cabral set an American-collegiate record in the steeplechase with
8:19.14 at the Oxy High Performance Meet. The senior also anchored
his team to victory in the DMR and 4xMile at the Penn Relays and
won both the steeple and 10K at the Ivy League Championships. The
Glastonbury, Conn., native won his heat at the East Prelims in the
steeplechase to enter with the No. 6 seed.
NORTHEAST REGION – Kyle Merber –
Columbia
The senior set an American collegiate record in the 1,500 meters
with time of 3:35.59 — fastest collegiate time in the nation,
second-fastest in the U.S. and 15th-fastest in the world. The Dix
Hills, N.Y. native was the Ivy League champion in the 1500 meters
and the 4×800 meter relay (setting an Ivy League record with
7:20.53).
Men’s Field Athlete of the Year
NORTHEAST REGION – Nick Huber –
Cornell
A senior from Leopold, Ind., Huber won the decathlon at the Ivy
League “Heps” Championships by besting the meet record
by over 400 points with a score of 7,632. Huber also placed at Heps
in the high jump and 110-meter hurdles and was an IC4A qualifier in
the high jump, pole vault, 110 hurdles, and 400 hurdles. He was
named Cornell’s MVP of the season.
Men’s Coach of the Year
MID-ATLANTIC REGION – Fred Samara –
Princeton
A fixture as Princeton’s head coach since 1977, Samara led
his Tigers to the Ivy League Championship with a 31-point victory
marking his 13th such championship at the school. Princeton is
ranked No. 1 in the Mid-Atlantic region and have advanced six
entries to the NCAA Final Rounds. Earlier this season, the Tigers
claimed two Penn Relays Champ of America relay events.
NORTHEAST REGION – Nathan Taylor –
Cornell
Taylor led Cornell to the top team ranking in the Northeast Region.
The Big Red were runner up at the HEPS and IC4A’s and had 18
athletes qualify for the East Preliminary Round with two advancing
for the final rounds of the national championships. Cornell had 47
different athletes qualify for the IC4A’s and won 8 events at
the HEPS. As a jumps coach, Taylor had seven jumpers at the East
Preliminary Rounds covering all four events.
Women’s Track Athlete of the Year
NORTHEAST REGION – Abbey D’Agostino
– Dartmouth
The sophomore sits 12th on the descending order list in the 1500
with a time of 4:16.15 to win the Ivy League Championships in
school-record fashion. The Heptagonal Championships Athlete of the
Meet also won the 3K in a Meet Record time of 9:24.64. The
Topsfield, Mass., native enters the NCAA Finals with the top seed
in the 5000 – her school record setting time of 15:23.35.
Women’s Coach of the Year
NORTHEAST REGION – Rich Bowman –
Cornell
Bowman now in his 31st season, led Cornell to the Heps title with
158 points, powered by five first team All-Ivy selections four
second team All-Ivy selections. The Big Red were ranked No. 1 in
the Northeast Region throughout the outdoor season, placed third at
the outdoor ECAC Championships, and sent an Ivy League-best 13
women to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in eight different
events. Thirty five women qualified for the outdoor ECAC
Championships. Katie Kellner (10K) and
Genna Hartung (Steeple) advanced to the NCAA Final
Rounds in Des Moines.
Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
NORTHEAST REGION – Mark Coogan –
Dartmouth
Coogan, Dartmouth distance coach, will have two athletes at the
NCAA’s final site. Abbey D’Agostino
clocked 15:23 in the 5000 earlier this season as one of the top ten
marks in collegiate history. D’Agostino was voted the Most
Outstanding Performer at the Ivy League Championships. At the Heps,
Coogan’s squad scored 53 of the team’s 89 points.
