Monday, May 23, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – One of the top distance runners in the conference and two dynamic coaches are among the GNAC honorees in the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association’s 2016 All-West Region outdoor track and field awards.

Alaska Anchorage distance standout Joyce Chelimo was named by the organization as its West Region Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. Seattle Pacific head coach Karl Lerum was recognized as the Women’s Head Coach of the Year and Alaska Anchorage assistant Ryan McWilliams was named the West Region Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

With her selection for the outdoor award, Chelimo completed a sweep of the USTFCCCA’s annual regional awards. She was named the organization’s West Region Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year in November and was selected as the West Region Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in March.

Chelimo continues what has been a tremendous senior season. After redshirting the entire 2014-15 academic year, Chelimo won GNAC outdoor championships in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. She enters this week’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships as the top-seeded athletes in both the 5,000 meters (15:59.55) and the 10,000 meters (33:14.41). Her time in the 10,000 meters is the fifth fastest in Division II history.

Lerum received his fifth West Region Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year award after leading the Falcons to their second straight GNAC championship. In his 11th season guiding SPU, Lerum saw his athletes win four GNAC individual titles, including three for GNAC Championship Women’s Athlete of the Meet Maliea Luquin. The Falcons will have six athletes at this week’s NCAA Championships.

McWilliams, in his fifth year on head coach Michael Friess’ staff, picked up his second outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year honor. The UAA specialist for the combined events, sprinters and jumpers, McWilliams’ work played a big role in Alaska Anchorage’s first GNAC outdoor team title. He helped coach GNAC Championships Men’s Co-Athlete of the Meet Cody Thomas to his third conference title in the decathlon. Thomas, an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships in the decathlon, enters the meet with the fourth best mark in Division II.