Hokie ClubNEW ORLEANS – The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Friday afternoon that Virginia Tech distance coach Ben Thomas earned Men's Assistant Coach of the Year and pole vaulter Lisa Gunnarsson won Women's Field Athlete of the Year for the Southeast Region during the outdoor season.
Thomas, who oversees cross country as well, was tabbed assistant coach of the year for the fourth time in the last four years in the Southeast Region, including winning the award this past indoor season. Thomas orchestrated the men's distance team racking up 50 of the team's 105.5 points at the ACC Outdoor Championships on the campus of Miami. Vincent Ciattei won a gold medal in the 1,500 meters and Peter Seufer took first in the 10,000, while Ciattei and Diego Zarate will make the trek to Eugene, Oregon next week for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Gunnarsson led the country with the top mark in the pole vault for most of the year, boasting a school-record mark of 4.60 meters (15 feet, 1 inch) that was set at the Texas Relays. The freshmen went on to earn a silver medal at the ACC Outdoor Championships in May and punched her ticket to Eugene at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds last weekend. Gunnarsson placed fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships and will look to build off of that at Hayward Field on June 7.
Both Thomas and Gunnarsson look to finish the season strong next week as the Hokies head across the country for the final meet of the season. The NCAA Outdoor Championships will take place on the campus of Oregon and will be streamed live on the ESPN/ESPN2 and the ESPN app from June 6-9.
On Monday, the USTFCCCA put out its rankings heading into NCAAs, and the Hokies came in at No. 16 on the women's side. The women are the lone team ranked out of the ACC.
USTFCCCA Southeast Region Award Winners
Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Kenny Selmon, North Carolina
Men's Field Athlete of the Year
Tim Duckworth, Kentucky
Men's Coach of the Year
Edrick Floreal, Kentucky
Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
Ben Thomas, Virginia Tech
Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Kentucky
Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Lisa Gunnarsson, Virginia Tech
Women's Coach of the Year
Edrick Floreal, Kentucky
Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
Rita Gary, Furman