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 Women’s Track & Field Honors

Cabral and Houlihan Named Newcomers of the Year

Oregon’s Lananna Takes Coaching Honors

 

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - STANFORD’s Chris Derrick was named Pac-12 Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Year, while ARIZONA’s Nick Ross earned Pac-12 Men’s Field Athlete of the Year honors. English Gardner of OREGON was tabbed Pac-12 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year while teammate Brianne Theisen was named Pac-12 Women’s Field Athlete of the Year. Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year honors went to OREGON’s Jonathan Cabral on the men’s side, and ARIZONA STATE’s Shelby Houlihan on the women’s side. Taking both coaching honors, OREGON’s Vin Lananna was voted the Pac-12 Men’s Coach of the Year and Pac-12 Women’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.

 

ARIZONA’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 year’s women’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.

 

OREGON’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 women’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.

 

OREGON’s Vin Lananna earns both the men’s and women’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 women’s team’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 women’s team to an indoor national championship in March, the program was tabbed the USTFCCCA’s Women’s Program of the Year for the fourth-consecutive year.

 

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

 

 

Previous Pac-12 Track and Field Award Winners

 

Women’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

 

 

 

Men’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

Ja’Warren Hooker, WASH

Jason Boness, ORE  Ron Allice, USC

Vin Lananna, STAN

1999

Jerome Davis, USC/  Ron Allice, USC

Bernard Lagat, WSU

1998

Ja’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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