For Immediate Release // Thursday, June 14, 2012

Contact // Natalia Ciccone (nciccone@pac-12.org)

Web Release

Pac-12 Announces Track & Field Honors

Derrick and Ross Earn Track & Field Honors

Gardner and Theisen Earn WomenÂ’s Track & Field Honors

Cabral and Houlihan Named Newcomers of the Year

OregonÂ’s Lananna Takes Coaching Honors

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - STANFORDÂ’s Chris Derrick was named Pac-12 Conference MenÂ’s Track Athlete of the Year, while ARIZONAÂ’s Nick Ross earned Pac-12 MenÂ’s Field Athlete of the Year honors. English Gardner of OREGON was tabbed Pac-12 WomenÂ’s Track Athlete of the Year while teammate Brianne Theisen was named Pac-12 WomenÂ’s Field Athlete of the Year. Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year honors went to OREGONÂ’s Jonathan Cabral on the menÂ’s side, and ARIZONA STATEÂ’s Shelby Houlihan on the womenÂ’s side. Taking both coaching honors, OREGONÂ’s Vin Lananna was voted the Pac-12 MenÂ’s Coach of the Year and Pac-12 WomenÂ’s Coach of the Year, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott announced today.

Ending a successful collegiate career in the distance races, STANFORD’s Chris Derrick (Naperville, Ill.) becomes the first Cardinal to win the honor since Tony Sandoval in 1976. Named to the USTFCCCA Bowerman Watch List this year, Derrick set the American collegiate record in the 10,000 meter in late April, also earning an Olympic ‘A’ Standard. Derrick won a Pac-12 title in the 5,000-meter race this season and was the runner-up in the 1,500 meter. He went on to compete in the 10,000-meter distance at the NCAA Championships, placing third overall in the field. The Cardinal tied for fifth at the Pac-12 Championships and placed in the top 20 at the national meet.

ARIZONAÂ’s Nick Ross becomes the first Wildcat to earn the field athlete honor since the award was instated in 2005. The sophomore from Murrieta, Calif., was the Pac-12 Champion in the high jump, clearing a height of 7-2.5 (2.20m). Ranked third in the country in the event, clearing a height of 7-4.5 (2.25m) at the Mt. SAC Relays in April, he placed fourth in the high jump at the NCAA Championships and qualified for the finals in the triple jump. His performances at the national meet helped the Wildcats to a seventh-place team finish, while placing third at the Pac-12 Championships.

OREGON freshman Jonathan Cabral (Calabasas, Calif.) was the 110-meter hurdle champion at the Pac-12 Championships and ranked in the top-15 in the country in the event, advancing to the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, in the event. His time of 13.45 in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA West Region Preliminaries to qualify for the NCAA Championships was the fastest by a Pac-12 athlete. Cabral also competed in the 400-meter hurdles this season, as well.

Last yearÂ’s womenÂ’s newcomer of the year, OREGON sophomore English Gardner (Voorhees, N.J.) won the 100-meter and 200-meter titles at the Pac-12 Championships this season, and was a member of the 4x100-meter team that finished first at the league championships, as well. She went on to win an individual national championship in the 100-meter, then helped the 4x400-meter team set an NCAA Championship meet and a Pac-12 Conference all-time record with a time of 3:24.54, coming from behind to win the national championship. Gardner was also a national champion in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.

OREGONÂ’s Brianne Theisen (Humboldt, Saskatchewan) ends her collegiate career as one of the most prolific heptathletes in NCAA history. Winning field athlete of the year honors for the second time in three years, Theisen returned to the track this season after sitting out last year because of injury. She won her third Pac-12 heptathlon title in four years, amassing a then-Conference record 6,353 points to win the title in 2012. She went on to win her third NCAA Championship title in the event, completing the second-best heptathlon in NCAA history with 6,440 points, also a Pac-12 all-time best. She became only the third woman in NCAA history to win three heptathlon national titles. Theisen also won the womenÂ’s pentathlon title at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year, the third of her career.

ARIZONA STATE freshman Shelby Houlihan (Sioux City, Iowa) was fourth in the 800-meter race at the Pac-12 Championships, helping the Sun Devils to a fifth-place team finish. She posted one of the top-10 times in the country in the 800m this season, including the top time in the Pac-12 prior to the national meet, posting a 2:03.85 at the 33rd Annual Sun Angel Classic in early April.

OREGONÂ’s Vin Lananna earns both the menÂ’s and womenÂ’s Coach of the Year honor for the third time in the last four years. His Ducks swept the first-ever Pac-12 track and field championships at Hayward Field, both teams winning in dominating fashion. The womenÂ’s teamÂ’s 200.5 points was just the second time in meet history a team had passed the 200-point mark. The women also went on to placed second overall at the NCAA Championships, while the men placed in a tie for ninth. After leading the womenÂ’s team to an indoor national championship in March, the program was tabbed the USTFCCCAÂ’s WomenÂ’s Program of the Year for the fourth-consecutive year.

The honors were decided by a vote of the conferenceÂ’s track and field coaches.

Previous Pac-12 Track and Field Award Winners

WomenÂ’s Award Winners

Track Athlete of the Year Field Athlete of the Year Newcomer of the Year Coach of the Year

2012 English Gardner, ORE Brianne Theisen, ORE Shelby Houlihan, ASU Vin Lananna, ORE

2011 Nia Ali, USC Brigetta Barrett, ARIZ English Gardner, ORE Fred Harvey, ARIZ

2010 Keisha Baker, ORE Brianne Theisen, ORE Julie Labonte, ARIZ Vin Lananna, ORE

2009 Charonda Williams, ASU Sarah Stevens, ASU Mel Lawrence, WASH Vin Lananna, ORE

2008 Alysia Johnson, CAL Jacquelyn Johnson, ASU Charonda Williams Greg Kraft, ASU

2007 Alysia Johnson, CAL Sarah Stevens, ASU Shalina Clarke, USC/ Greg Kraft, ASU

Shana Woods, USC

2006 Virginia Powell, USC Chelsea Johnson, UCLA Nicole Leach, UCLA Greg Kraft, ASU

2005 Monique Henderson, UCLA Jessica Cosby, UCLA Erica McLain, STAN Edrick Floreal, STAN

2004 Sheena Johnson, UCLA Jacquelyn Johnson, ASU Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

2003 Lena Nilsson, UCLA Virginia Powell, USC Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

2002 Lena Nilsson, UCLA Monique Henderson, UCLA Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

2001 Brianna Glenn, ARIZ Sheena Johnson, UCLA Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

2000 Seilala Sua, UCLA Lauren Fleshman, STAN Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

1999 Seilala Sua, UCLA Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

1998 Amy Skieresz, ARIZ Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

1997 Amy Skieresz, ARIZ Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

1996 Amy Acuff, UCLA Ron Allice, USC

1995 Amy Acuff, UCLA Jeanette Bolden, UCLA

1994 Inger Miller, USC Jeanette Bolden, UCLA/

Leonard Braxton, ASU

1993 Kelly Blair, ORE Bob Kersee, UCLA

1992 Chryste Gaines, STAN Tom Heinonen, ORE

1991 Paula Berry, ORE Tom Heinonen, ORE

1990 Sheila Hudson, CAL Bob Kersee, UCLA

1989 Tonya Sedwick, UCLA Bob Kersee, UCLA

1988 Gail Devers, UCLA Bob Kersee, UCLA

1987 Gail Devers, UCLA Bob Kersee, UCLA

MenÂ’s Award Winners

Track Athlete of the Year Field Athlete of the Year Newcomer of the Year Coach of the Year

2012 Chris Derrick, STAN Nick Ross, ARIZ Jonathan Cabral, ORE Vin Lananna, ORE

2011 Jeshua Anderson, WSU Jordan Clarke, ASU Stephen Sambu, ARIZ Fred Harvey, ARIZ

2010 Andrew Wheating, ORE Ashton Eaton, ORE Nick Ross, ARIZ Vin Lananna, ORE

Ryan Whiting, ASU

2009 Galen Rupp, ORE Aston Eaton, ORE Matthew Centrowitz, ORE Vin Lananna, ORE

2008 Lionel Larry, USC Corey White, USC Jeshua Anderson, WSU Dan Steele, ORE

2007 Lionel Larry, USC Noah Bryant, USC Ahmad Rashad, USC Vin Lananna, ORE

2006 Robert Cheseret, ARIZ Tommy Skipper, ORE Kevin Craddock, UCLA Ron Allice, USC

2005 Robert Cheseret, ARIZ Jesse Williams, USC Galen Rupp, ORE Coaching Staff, ORE

2004 Robert Cheseret, ARIZ Tommy Skipper, ORE Art Venegas, UCLA

2003 Ryan Wilson, USC Allen Simms, USC Ron Allice, USC

2002 Anson Henry, WSU Julien Kapek, USC Martin Smith, ORE

2001 Marcus Brunson, ASU Donald Sage, STAN Vin Lananna, STAN

2000 JaÂ’Warren Hooker, WASH Jason Boness, ORE Ron Allice, USC

Vin Lananna, STAN

1999 Jerome Davis, USC/ Ron Allice, USC

Bernard Lagat, WSU

1998 JaÂ’Warren Hooker, WASH Bob Larsen, UCLA

1997 Mebrahtom Keflezighi, UCLA Ron Allice, USC

1996 Ato Boldon, UCLA Bob Larsen, UCLA

1995 John Godina, UCLA Bob Larsen, UCLA

1994 Josephat Kapkory, WSU Bob Larsen, UCLA

1993 Martin Keino, ARIZ Bob Larsen, UCLA

1992 Quincy Watts, USC Bob Larsen, UCLA

1991 Samuel Kibiri, WSU John Chaplin, WSU

1990 Steve Lewis, UCLA Bill Dellinger, ORE

1989 Derek Huff, ARIZ Bob Larsen, UCLA

1988 Danny Everett, UCLA Bob Larsen, UCLA

1987 Jim Banich, UCLA Bob Larsen, UCLA

1986 Gabriel Tiacoh, WSU Bill Dellinger, ORE

1985 Darwin Cook, USC John Chaplin, WSU

1984 Joaquim Cruz, ORE Bill Dellinger, ORE

1983 Dean Crouser, ORE John Chaplin, WSU

1982 Dean Crouser, ORE Jim Bush, UCLA

1981 LaMonte King, ASU Len Miller, ASU

1980 James Sanford, USC Jim Bush, UCLA

1979 Greg Foster, UCLA Bill Dellinger, ORE

1978 Clancy Edwards, USC Bill Dellinger, ORE

1977 Clancy Edwards, USC Vern Wolfe, USC

1976 Tony Sandoval, STAN/ Vern Wolfe, USC

Ken Randle, USC Ken Shannon, WASH

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