{WICHITA, Ks.}—
Wichita State's Steve Rainbolt was named U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Men's Coach of the Year, the USTFCCCA announced Monday.Rainbolt is in his 12th season as Wichita State's Director of Track & Field and Cross Country.
The USTFCCCA announced its Region Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field season, as voted by the nation's coaches.
Rainbolt guided the Shockers to a second-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships and coached two members of the men's team to individual titles, including Tomas Cotter in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Dylan Hartnett in the 400 meters.
Nine men and the 4x400-meter relay squad competed for Wichita State at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds. Todd McKown set the Wichita State school record there in the men's 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.42.
Four Shocker men -- McKown, Cotter, Lawson Montgomery and Brett Trudo -- qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Wichita State will send a total of eight student-athletes to the NCAA Championships, which take place June 6-9 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Cotter will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. McKown and Montgomery will run in the 110-meter hurdles. Brett Trudo will compete in the javelin. Tanya Friesen (heptathlon), J'Lynn Ledesma (high jump), Natalie Morerod (400-meter hurdles) and Aliphine Tuliamuk (5,000 meters and 10,000 meters) will also compete for Wichita State in Des Moines.
The official USTFCCCA release can be viewed here: http://www.ustfccca.org/2012/06/featured/ustfccca-region-award-winners-announced-for-di-outdoor-track-field
