Dumble named National Assistant Coach of the Year


David Dumble, a member of the Arizona State University track and field coaching staff, has been named the 2010 USTFCCCA Men's Division I Assistant Coach of the Year, the Association announced Thursday. Robert Johnson of Oregon was named the women's honoree to join Dumble as the two national assistant coaches of the year.

The award for Dumble is the fourth of his career and the first on the men's side as he was named the women's national assistant for the 2006 and 2007 outdoor seasons as well as the 2008 indoor season. Last week, Dumble was selected as the USTFCCCA Men's West Region Assistant Coach of the Year, which also was his first on the men's side and his fifth career regional honor from the Association.

In 2010, Dumble had a pair of men that once again fared well, including Ryan Whiting and Jason Lewis, who combined to score 16 of the team's 21 points at the NCAA Indoor Championships that were held last weekend. Whiting led the way for the Sun Devils as he won the shot put for the third year in a row and captured his fourth career national title as he took the indoor title with a toss of 21.52m (70-07.25), which equalled his season best and the third-best mark in the world this season. Whiting also took second at the USATF Championships two weeks earlier and qualified for the IAAF World Championships as a member of Team USA, but could not compete in Doha, Qatar, as it was the same weekend of the NCAA meet.

Lewis also had a strong weekend as he captured a pair of All-America honors, the fifth and sixth of his career, by placing seventh in the shot put on the first day of competition in Fayetteville, Ark., before taking sixth in the weight throw on the second day. For the year, Lewis held the fourth-best mark in the collegiate ranks in the weight throw and also ranked 13th in the world with his top mark. He also ranked ninth in the NCAA in the shot put before heading into the national meet where he earned two All-America honors for the second year in a row.

Dumble and the rest of the Sun Devil program will be at home this weekend to play host to the first outdoor meet of the season as representatives from 18 schools will be on hand to compete in the Baldy Castillo Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The hammer throw will open things at 1 p.m. on Friday while all other events will take place on Saturday starting with the discus at 10 a.m. and running events at 5:50 p.m.