NEW ORLEANS, La. – Colorado College senior James Settles was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division III West Region Men’s Athlete of the Year it was announced on Tuesday.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
Settles is the first SCAC cross country athlete to earn a USTFCCCA Region Men’s Athlete of the Year honor since former CC Tiger Jackson Brainerd and former conference member Centre’s John Kieffer won the award in their respective regions back in 2011.
A native of Claremont, Calif., Settles won the individual title at the West Region Championships last Saturday, crossing the line in 24:23.0. Last month, the two time SCAC Runner-of-the-Year led the 22nd-ranked CC Tigers to their fifth consecutive league title, winning the individual title in a time of 25:01.0. This weekend Settles will lead Colorado College at the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Championships as the Tigers qualified for the event for the first time since 2011.
For the entire list of 2023 USTFCCCA regional athletes and coaches of the year, click here.