Keith Gill, Division II National Indoor Track Athlete of the Year
New Orleans, La. - On Tuesday the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced the Division II Regional Indoor Track and Field Athletes and Coaches of the Year. On Friday, the association named the Division II National Indoor Track and Field honorees. Three men and three women received the annual honor prior to the Division II Indoor Championships Banquet on Thursday evening.
Among those honored was Stonehill College's own, Keith Gill (Brockton, Mass./Brockton), who was named Men's Track Athlete of the Year. All of the student-athletes honored have the top seed in their respective events at the National Championships.
The 2008 USTFCCCA Division II National Indoor Track and Field Athletes and Coaches of the Year:
Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Jessica Pixler - Sophomore - Seattle Pacific University
The Sammamish, Wash. native has the top time in both the 800-meters (2:07.37) and the mile run (4:38.23). She was a 2007 Indoor Champion in the mile event as a freshman. This year her time in the mile is 16 seconds faster than her next competitor. She was named the 2008 Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Most Outstanding Female Athlete after sweeping the 800-meters and the mile at the conference meet.
Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Katelin Rains - Junior - Minnesota State University
Rains, a junior from Spring Lake, Minn., has the top pole vault mark in Division II this year. The mark, 14' ½", was a new NCAA Division II pole vault record, a record Rains set last year. She is the reigning pole vault champion having won last year's title as well. She is also ranked ninth on the triple jump list at the NCAA Championships after posting a school record leap of 38' 9 ¾". She owns ten North Central Conference titles, the most ever by a female Maverick student-athlete. She swept the NCC's pole vault and triple jump competitions in 2008.
Women's Track & Field Coach of the Year
David Astrauskas - Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Astrauskas joined the SIU-E family in 2002 and has been the head coach of the Cougars for the past two years. This year he led the women's team to a first place finish at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor meet, the team's fifth straight GLVC crown. The Cougars nearly tripled the runner-up at the conference meet after scoring 270 points. Astrauskas will lead a group of nine individuals at the Division II National Championships this weekend.
Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Keith Gill - Senior - Stonehill College
The Brockton, Massachusetts native became the first Stonehill track and field athlete to win a New England Indoor title when the senior posted a first place finish in the 1000-meter race (2:24.73). Gill, is the top seed in this weekend's mile with a time of 4:03.43. He was named the Northeast-10 Conference's Indoor Athlete of the Year for 2008.
Men's Field Athlete of the Year
Bryan Vickers - Senior - Ashland University
Vickers is a senior from Circleville, Ohio. He currently owns the farthest shot put throw in Division II this year with a 64' ½" toss. He is also ranked fourth in the weight throw (62' 4 ¾"). He was named the 2008 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Field Athlete of the Year. Vickers won the 2007 Outdoor Shot Put Title.
Men's Track & Field Coach of the Year
Jud Logan - Ashland University
Logan, in his third year as head coach of the Eagles, has had successive years with the men's National Field Athlete of the Year. Last year, Ashland standout, Kibwe Johnson was selected. Logan was also named the 2008 GLIAC Men's Coach of the Year and picked up his second Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honor. He is a four-time Olympian in the throws. Logan will take 20 athletes to Mankato for the NCAA Division II National Championships.