Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Thomas Named USTFCCCA National Finalist
03/20/20 | Cross Country, Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon track and field associate head coach Ben Thomas is one of three national finalists for USTFCCCA Men's (Team) Assistant Coach of the Year as announced Friday morning.
Thomas is the two-time reigning West Region Assistant Coach of the Year, and is up for national honors along with Travis Geopfert of Tennessee and Todd Lane of LSU. Each coach was among the top three in the first round of voting by member coaches. The final vote for National Assistant Coach of the Year will begin Monday.
The Men of Oregon's distance crew collected six national qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships including three entries—Charlie Hunter, James West and Cole Hocker—in the mile. West, the USTFCCCA West Region Track Athlete of the Year, also qualified in the 3,000 meters along with Cooper Teare while Luis Peralta and Jackson Mestler were entered in the 800 and 5,000 meters, respectively.
Thomas coached four UO runners to sub-4:00 performances in the mile this year with Hunter (3:55.41), Teare (3:55.50), West (3:57.43) and Hocker (3:58.20). With their efforts at the BU Last Chance, Hunter and Teare became the 13th- and 14th-fastest performers in collegiate history.
During the 2020 indoor season, Thomas' athletes totaled eight top-10 Oregon performances along with collegiate records in the 1,500 meters (West – 3:36.93) and distance-medley relay. The DMR quartet of West, Hunter, Teare and Jacob Miller teamed up for a time of 9:24.52 at the Razorback Invitational to break the previous collegiate record of 9:25.97 set by Texas in 2008.
For more information about Oregon Track and Field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Thomas is the two-time reigning West Region Assistant Coach of the Year, and is up for national honors along with Travis Geopfert of Tennessee and Todd Lane of LSU. Each coach was among the top three in the first round of voting by member coaches. The final vote for National Assistant Coach of the Year will begin Monday.
The Men of Oregon's distance crew collected six national qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships including three entries—Charlie Hunter, James West and Cole Hocker—in the mile. West, the USTFCCCA West Region Track Athlete of the Year, also qualified in the 3,000 meters along with Cooper Teare while Luis Peralta and Jackson Mestler were entered in the 800 and 5,000 meters, respectively.
Thomas coached four UO runners to sub-4:00 performances in the mile this year with Hunter (3:55.41), Teare (3:55.50), West (3:57.43) and Hocker (3:58.20). With their efforts at the BU Last Chance, Hunter and Teare became the 13th- and 14th-fastest performers in collegiate history.
During the 2020 indoor season, Thomas' athletes totaled eight top-10 Oregon performances along with collegiate records in the 1,500 meters (West – 3:36.93) and distance-medley relay. The DMR quartet of West, Hunter, Teare and Jacob Miller teamed up for a time of 9:24.52 at the Razorback Invitational to break the previous collegiate record of 9:25.97 set by Texas in 2008.
For more information about Oregon Track and Field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Players Mentioned
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Distance
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