Lananna Tabbed Pac-10 T&F Coach of the Year
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. ? University of Oregon associate athletic director and track and field head coach Vin Lananna was named the Pacific-10 Conference Men’s Track and Field Coach of the Year Tuesday after a vote by conference head coaches.
The second-year Duck mentor guided the ?Men of Oregon’ to their sixth straight top-two Pac-10 Championships team finish and their third team championship in that stretch. Oregon tallied 114 points to edge Arizona State (second, 111) and USC (third,110) in the most competitive meet in recent history with only 30 points separating first-sixth places.
UO celebrated five individual wins in the meet courtesy of seniors Ryan Brandel (javelin), Brian Richotte (hammer), Tommy Skipper (pole vault) and junior Galen Rupp (5,000m / 10,000m)
Lananna’s Pac-10 track and field coaching honor was the third of his career after he won similar men's honors at Stanford University in 2000 and 2001.
He was also tabbed the Pac-10 Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year last fall after the Ducks won their 14th conference team championship, then followed with a West Regional team victory and fifth-place NCAA team finish. That Pac-10 harrier coaching honor was the 11th of his career, including Stanford men’s and women’s cross country coaching honors.
Among other distinctions announced Tuesday, Arizona State head coach Greg Kraft received similar Women’s Head Coach of the Year honors.
USC claimed each of the Men’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year awards, courtesy of junior Lionel Larry and senior Noah Bryant. California middle distance runner Alysia Johnson took the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year honor, and Arizona State sophomore Sarah Stevens picked up the Women's Field Athlete of the Year accolade.
The Trojans also swept the Men’s and Women’s Newcomer of the Year honors, which went to freshman sprinter Ahmad Rashad, sprinter/hurdler Shalina Clarke and sprinter/hurdler/jumper/heptathlete Shana Woods - the latter two of which split the female award.
A detailed conference award press release is available at the www.Pac-10.org website.
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