June 1, 2006

TEMPE, Ariz. - The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) announced its annual district coach and athlete of the year awards and two members of the Arizona State University track and field team securing the honor in the west region. Head Coach Greg Kraft was selected as the Women's West District Coach of the Year while Jacquelyn Johnson was honored as the Women's West District Field Athlete of the Year.

Kraft has been at the helm of the Sun Devil program for 10 seasons and has helped the program not only rise from a troubled past, but also become one of the top programs in the nation. Kraft recently guided the women to its first Pac-10 Championship as the Sun Devils outscored 2005 champion Stanford, 154-151.5, in the meet held May 13-14 in Eugene, Ore., and will now send 16 women, the most of any school in the nation, to the NCAA Championships next week in Sacramento. Since taking over the program, Kraft has coached three national champions, including Johnson and Amy Hastings at the indoor meet this season. His women have earned trophies at the national meet in recent months as the women finished fourth at the NCAA Cross Country Championships before finishing third at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.

Johnson has become one of the premier competitors in the nation and recently captured her second consecutive Pac-10 heptathlon title as she set a personal best and national-leading score of 5,987 points. Johnson opened her career in 2004 and won the NCAA outdoor heptathlon crown after finishing second in the indoor pentathlon. Following a one year break while playing basketball for the Sun Devils, Johnson came back to the track and won the indoor pentathlon crown while helping the women place third overall in the standings.

The Sun Devils head to Sacramento, Calif., June 7-10 as they compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships set for the Alex G. Spanos Athletic Complex on the Sacramento State campus.

Men's District Coach of the Year Honorees
Great Lakes - Jim Knapp (Central Michigan)
Mid-Atlantic - Harry Groves (Penn State)
West - Ron Allice (USC)
Midwest - Joe Dial (Oral Roberts)
Mountain - Bob Kitchens (UTEP)
Northeast - Roberto Vives (Albany)
South - Bob Braman (Florida State)
South Central - Bubba Thornton (Texas)
Southeast - Danny Williamson (Western Carolina)

Women's District Coach of the Year Honorees
Great Lakes - James Henry (Michigan)
Mid-Atlantic - Alonzo Webb (Pittsburgh)
West - Greg Kraft (Arizona State)
Midwest - Gary Wilson (Minnesota)
Mountain - J.W. Hardy (Northern Arizona)
Northeast - Lou Duesing (Cornell)
South - Wayne Norton (Georgia)
South Central - Curtis Collier (Sam Houston State)
Southeast - Robert Olesen (UNC Charlotte)

Men's District Track Athlete of the Year
Great Lakes - David Neville (Indiana)
Mid-Atlantic - Courtney Jaworski (Pennsylvania)
West - Robert Cheseret (Arizona)
Midwest - Aaron Buzard (Minnesota)
Mountain - Churandy Martina (UTEP)
Northeast - Bryan Steele (Long Island)
South - Aries Merritt (Tennessee)
South Central - Xavier Carter (LSU)
Southeast - Jason Richardson (South Carolina)

Women's District Track Athlete of the Year
Great Lakes - Molly Huddle (Notre Dame)
Mid-Atlantic - Shana Cox (Penn State)
West - Virginia Powell (USC)
Midwest - Heather Dorniden (Minnesota)
Mountain - Oludamola Osayomi (UTEP)
Northeast - Mary Cullen (Providence)
South - Kerron Stewart (Auburn)
South Central - Melaine Walker (Texas)
Southeast - Shalonda Solomon (South Carolina)

Men's District Field Athlete of the Year
Great Lakes - Alonzo Moore (Wisconsin)
Mid-Atlantic - Bobby Smith (Monmouth)
West - Jesse Williams (USC)
Midwest - Hans Uldal (Missouri)
Mountain - Mikael Hanany (UTEP)
Northeast - Derek Anderson (Northeastern)
South - Garrett Johnson (Florida State)
South Central - Trey Hardee (Texas)
Southeast - Vikas Gowda (North Carolina)

Women's District Field Athlete of the Year
Great Lakes - Ashley Kaufman (Akron)
Mid-Atlantic - Jen Leatherman (Penn State)
West - Jacquelyn Johnson (Arizona State)
Midwest - Tracy Partain (Missouri State)
Mountain - Dana Pounds (Air Force)
Northeast - Sarah Wilfred (Cornell)
South - Jenny Dahlgren (Georgia)
South Central - Marshevet Hooker (Texas)
Southeast - Laura Gerraughty (North Carolina)