Monday, September 11, 2023
by Thomas Lal

PORTLAND, Ore. – The 2023 cross country season is already underway, but Alaska Anchorage junior Coleman Nash is still earning honors from the 2022-23 seasons as the Division II Conference Commissioners Association named him the Men’s West Region Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Monday.

In the 2022-23 seasons, Nash won three GNAC championships and was named an all-west region honoree three times. He also made appearances at the NCAA Championships for both cross country and indoor track and field and brought home his fifth All-American trophy with a sixth-place finish at the Division II Cross Country Championships.

 Nash backed up all his success on the trails and the track with a perfect 4.00 GPA as an economics/real estate management major in his sophomore year at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He was also named the GNAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year, GNAC 2022-23 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, College Sports Communicators (CSC) Division II Men’s Academic All-American and was named all-west region by the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)

The Littleton, Colo. native was one of the best cross country athletes in the conference last season, finishing in the top 10 of all seven races he took part in. He followed up his strong regular-season form with a 17-second margin of victory at the GNAC Championships in Monmouth, Ore. on Nov. 5 and a second-place finish at the Division II West Region Championships on Nov. 19.

After his sixth-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, Nash rolled straight into the indoor track and field season where he only had three regular-season meets ahead of the GNAC Championships to find his form. He wasted no time in doing so, running to GNAC titles in the 5,000 meters and 3,000 meters, setting meet records in the process. Nash finished the 5k race in a time of 14:17.09, six seconds clear of the next competitor. In the 3k race, Nash won by three seconds in a time of 8.18.32.

Each of the D2CCA Regional Scholar-Athletes of the Year advanced to the national ballot for consideration for the 2022-23 Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Conference offices were permitted to submit one male and one female nominee for the overall awards. Voting was conducted by the commissioners within the Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, Southeast, South Central and West regions to select the regional winners.

Nash has already taken one victory this season, winning the Seawolf Throwdown in Anchorage by 19 seconds, completing the 5k course in 15:06.19. Nash and the Seawolves are set to compete next at the Bill Roe Invitational in Bellingham, Wash. on Sept. 23.