March 14, 2008

NEW ORLEANS - On the eve of the NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named the 2008 USTFCCCA National Indoor Track and Field Athletes and Coaches of the Year. Two women and four men received the honors.

Those honored were Women's Track Athlete of the Year, Stephanie Herrick, Women's Field Athlete of the Year, Caitlin Schetter, Women's Coach of the Year, Chris Schumacher, Men's Track Athlete of the Year, Peter Kosgei, Men's Field Athlete of the Year, Al Winsley, and the Men's Coach of the Year, Walter Wandall.

The 2008 USTFCCCA Division III National Indoor Track and Field Athletes and Coaches of the Year:

	Stephanie Herrick - Junior - The College of New Jersey Herrick, a Wayne, N.J. native, will compete in three events this weekend. She will run the 800-meters, the mile and compete on the distance medley relay team. She owns the third best 800-meter time in the NCAA this year (2:11.78) which is also a school record and is in the top seven in the mile (4:56.25). Earlier this week she was named the USTFCCCA's Atlantic Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. She also was named the 2008 Gerrity Award recipient by the New Jersey Athletic Conference as the conference's most outstanding track athlete.
	Caitlin Schetter - Junior - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse A Kiel, Wisconsin native, Schetter set a facility record at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships as she won the triple jump title. She also finished second in the long jump at the WIAC meet. She currently has the top long jump in the country and is ranked fifth in the triple jump heading into this weekend's championships. She was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Field Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, March 12th.
	Chris Schumacher - Illinois Wesleyan University Schumacher coached the Titans' women's team to its first-ever College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin women's track championship, scoring 187½ points. IWU qualified three women, two men and two relay teams for the NCAA indoor championships, including two-time defending champion Rachel Anderson in the 400 meters. Illinois Wesleyan was named the Women's Coaching Staff of the Year by the CCIW. Schumacher has coached the Titans for the past ten seasons.

	Peter Kosgei - Sophomore - Hamilton College Kosgei is the top-seeded entrant in the 800 meters (1:52.52) and mile (4:09.31) at this week's NCAA indoor meet. Kosgei won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at last year's NCAA outdoor meet and placed second in the NCAA Cross Country Championships. He is a sophomore from Kapsabet, Kenya.
	Al Winsley - Senior - Mississippi College The Brandon, Miss. native owns the best mark in the Division III high jump field at the National Championships (7' 2 ½"). That mark also meets the provisional qualifying standard for the Olympic Trials. He also had the fourth best long jump but will not compete in the event at nationals.
	Walter Wandall - Moravian College The Greyhounds raced to victory at the inaugural Landmark Conference Indoor Championships and finished second out of 58 teams at the ECAC Division III Championships. Moravian senior Ozzie Brown will compete in the long jump and 55-meter hurdles at this weekend's NCAA meet. Wandall is in his eighth season on the Moravian cross country and track coaching staff.