NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Southern Collegiate
Athletic Conference (SCAC) was well represented on the list of
Division III Indoor Track & Field all-Region award winners -
which was released today by the the U.S. Track & Field and
Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Complete Release
The awards will be presented at a banquet Thursday evening at
Greencastle, Ind., on the campus of DePauw University - site of the
NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships this
weekend.
Seventy two athletes, assistant coaches and head coaches
received regional awards for their efforts during the 2010 indoor
track & field season in NCAA’s Division III, as voted by
the nation’s coaches, including three SCAC
student-athletes and two head coaches.
Trinity University head coach David Svoboda, senior Todd Wildman,
and junior Caitlin Masse each received regional honors from the
United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches
Association, as did DePauw University head coach Kori Stoffregen
and senior Lauren Reich.
Wildman, a senior from Dallas, was named the USTFCCA Division III
South/Southeast Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. He
will look to defend his NCAA national pentathlon title at the
NCAA meet at Greencastle, as well as compete in the 55m hurdles and
high jump. He is a two-time Regional Athlete of the Year.
He was last year's South/Southeast Region Men’s Field Athlete
of the Year in indoors along with being named the National Field
Athlete and High Point Field Performer at the NCAA Championships
last year. He is a five time All-American for Trinity.
Masse, a junior from Katy, Texas was elected the USTFCCA
Division III South/Southeast Region Women’s Track Athlete of
the Year. She will compete in the 5,000 meters race at the NCAA
Division III Championships. She is currently ranked 15th in
the event, with hopes of attaining her second
All-American award this weekend. Masse is Trinity's second
ever Cross Country All-American, behind Emily Loeffler. She
had the highest finish in Trinity history, finishing 8th at the
Cross Country Championships this fall. She was also voted the
Regional Runner of the year, making her the second cross
country runner to ever win the award, behind D'Ann Arthur.
Coach Svoboda, in his second year at the helm at Trinity, was named
the USTFCCA Division III South/Southeast Region Men’s Track
and Field Head Coach of the Year. He will have six Tiger athletes
competing Friday and Saturday at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track
and Field Championships, at Greencastle, Ind.
During his first year, coach Svoboda led the Tiger men to the
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, and also
enjoyed successful indoor and outdoor seasons at the NCAA
Championships. Coach Svoboda had a national indoor pentathlon
champion, and four athletes earn All-America honors. He led the
indoor and outdoor men's team to a sixth-place finish
nationally. The Tiger women's indoor team finished in the top
25 as well.
DePauw's Reich was elected the USTFCCA Division III Great
Lakes Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. Reich
broke three school records during the 2010 indoor season. She will
compete in the 800 meters and the mile at this weekend’s NCAA
Division III Indoor Championships, with the fourth-fastest entering
time in the 800 meters and the second-fastest in the mile. The
senior from Mesa, Ariz. has season-bests of 2:12.16 for the 800
meters and 4:53.81 for the mile.
Stoffregen was selected as the Great Lakes Region Women's Head
Coach-of-the-Year. In his 13th year at DePauw, Stoffregen qualified
two in the mid-distance events to the NCAA Championships. This
season, five indoor school records were broken and the team sits
16th in the national rankings.