March 18, 2008
View National Championship Central
Arizona State's Greg Kraft Sweeps National Coach of the Year Honors
NEW ORLEANS - After leading his Arizona State Sun Devils to a sweep in the men's and women's NCAA title races, Greg Kraft took home a sweep of his own; the Division I Indoor Track and Field National Coach of the Year awards. Kraft picked up the honors after guiding his men's team to their first indoor national title and the women's team to back-to-back national championships.
Arizona State became just the second program in history to sweep both the men's and women's titles in the same year. LSU accomplished the feat in 2004. Arizona State was led by two standout athletes in Ryan Whiting and Jacquelyn Johnson. Both were named National Field Athletes of the Year. Sun Devil Assistant Coach Dave Dumble received the Women's Assistant Coach of the Year award after his women picked up several key points at the NCAA Championship.
Texas' Leonel Manzano and Assistant Coach Jason Vigilante were also honored. Manzano picked up the National Track Athlete of the Year award for the men while Vigilante was named the Men's Assistant Coach of the Year. Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego was named the Women's Field Athlete of the Year, after winning the women's 5000-meters for her sixth NCAA title.
The 2008 USTFCCCA Division I National Indoor Track and Field Athletes and Coaches of the Year:
 | Leonel Manzano - University of Texas - Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Manzano helped lead the ninth-ranked Texas Longhorns to a third place finish at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish for the Longhorn program. Manzano led the charge picking up 20 points at the meet becoming the first Longhorn track athlete to win two NCAA titles. He won the mile in 4:04.45 and anchored the Texas distance medley relay team to its first relay title in Texas history. He also ran the anchor leg on the DMR that set a new world best earlier this year. |
 | Ryan Whiting - Arizona State University - Men's Field Athlete of the Year
The redshirt sophomore from Harrisburg, Pa., broke a 31 year-old collegiate record in the shot put, throwing 21.74m (71-03.50) to win his first national title and set the men's program up for its first national team crown. Whiting, whose mark ranks third in the world currently, broke the mark of 21.50m (70-06.50) of Terry Albritton (Stanford), which was set in 1977. Whiting also won the shot put at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation meet. |
 | Greg Kraft - Arizona State University - Men's Coach of the Year
Kraft led his men's squad to their first overall men's indoor team title and first NCAA title since the 1977 outdoor season. The team scored 44 points en route to a come-from-behind victory. Kraft's team had two national champions, Whiting in the shot and Kyle Alcorn in the 3000-meters. The Sun Devil DMR squad finished second (9:32.49) as did Joel Phillips in the 400-meter dash (46.27) and the 4x400-meter relay team finished third. |
 | Jason Vigilante - University of Texas - Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
Running one of the finest middle-distance programs in the country, Vigilante's tutoring proved true to form as his athletes picked up several key points for the Longhorns who finished third at the NCAA Championships. Vigilante's DMR squad won the NCAA title, the Longhorns first relay title, and two of his milers, Leo Manzano and Jake Morse, finished one-two at the NCAA meet. His DMR squad also owns the world best time which was set on February 16th at the Tyson Invitational. |
 | Sally Kipyego - Texas Tech University - Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Kipyego finished another successful indoor season, defending her 5000-meter crown at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Her time of 15:31.91 beat the field by over 23 seconds and is currently the fastest time in the world. During the season Kipyego dominated as she won the mile and 3000-meters for the second year in a row at the Big 12 Championships. She owns school records in the mile, 3000-meters and 5000-meters. The Kenyan native has won six NCAA titles in only two years of competition. She was awarded the 2008 Mountain Region Female Athlete of the Year. |
 | Jacquelyn Johnson - Arizona State University - Women's Field Athlete of the Year
The senior from Yuma, Ariz., successfully defended her pentathlon crowns, winning for the third year in a row while setting a collegiate and meet record with 4,496 points. Johnson, a three-time heptathlon champion, contributed 14 points to the team's winning total, placing fifth in the long jump while also finishing tied for ninth in the high jump. |
| Greg Kraft - Arizona State University - Women's Coach of the Year
Kraft's women's team won a second straight indoor title and third consecutive team title after besting the NCAA field with 51 points. Coming into the meet the Sun Devil women were ranked second nationally. The NCAA title was the seventh post-season win in a row for the Sun Devils. In addition to Jacquelyn Johnson's national championship, the Sun Devil women had three runner-up finishes (Sarah Stevens-Shot Put, April Kubishta-Pole Vault, and Jessica Pressley-Weight Throw) and one third place finish (Women's 4x400-meter Relay). |
 | Dave Dumble - Arizona State University - Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
Dumble has built one of the top throws programs in the nation as his women accounted for 20 of the team's winning 51 point total as Sarah Stevens placed second in the shot put and Jessica Pressley was second in the weight throw and fifth in the shot put. Dumble also has worked with six-time national champion Jacquelyn Johnson, helping the senior to a collegiate record in the pentathlon this season. Dumble also has worked with the men, including collegiate record-holder Ryan Whiting, who threw 71-03.50 to win the shot put |
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