Johnson, Kraft, Dumble honored with region awards

March 10, 2008

The United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has announced its annual region award winners with three members of the Arizona State University women's track and field program earning honors from the west region. Head Coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a> has been selected as the 2008 USTFCCCA Women's West Region Coach of the Year while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/dumble_david00.html">Da… Dumble</a> has been named the 2008 USTFCCCA Women's West Region Assistant Coach of the Year. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a>, a five-time individual national champion, was selected as the 2008 USTFCCCA Women's Field Athlete of the Year.<separator></separator>All three Sun Devils are now eligible for the national honor that will be announced following the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, set for this Friday and Saturday inside the Randal Tyson Track Center on the Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, Ark.<separator></separator>Kraft earned the regional honor for the second year in a row after earning both regional and national coach of the year accolades last season. The defending indoor and outdoor champions, Kraft's women have been ranked No. 2 much of the indoor season with three individuals currently leading the nation in their respective events, including Johnson in the pentathlon, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kubishta_april00.html">… Kubishta</a> in the pole vault and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a>, the defending national champion, in the shot put. The Sun Devils recently won their second MPSF Indoor Championships in a row two weeks ago in Seattle.<separator></separator>Dumble has put together one of the top throwing corps in the nation and earned his first indoor honor after being named the outdoor USTFCCCA West Region and National Assistant Coach of the Year for Women's Throws in both 2006 and 2007. Last year, Stevens won the indoor shot put title while teammate <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> won the outdoor crown. Both women, who have recorded marks of 18-meters or better in their careers, also rank in the Top 10 of the weight throw currently. While Dumble's award is for the women's success, he also has mentored one of the top men in the nation, working with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/whiting_ryan00.html">Ry… Whiting</a> to hit a mark of 70-05.50, the fourth-longest throw in the world right now.<separator></separator>Johnson is adding her second indoor award to a mantel that includes two NCAA indoor pentathlon championships and three NCAA outdoor heptathlon championships in her career, taking second in the pentathlon in her freshman season for her only non-title. Johnson enters the weekend ranked among the Top 12 in the nation in four events, including the national leader in the pentathlon (4,312 points). She also stands fifth in the long jump (6.50m), ninth in the high jump (1.83m) and 12th in the 60m hurdles (8.23). Johnson also helped a 4x400m relay team qualify for the NCAA Championships.<separator></separator>The Sun Devils will compete at the NCAA Championships on Friday and Saturday before returning to Tempe to open the outdoor season one week later by hosting the Baldy Castillo Invitational (March 21-22).<separator></separator> <separator></separator>2008 USTFCCCA Regional Award Winners Women's & Men's Indoor Awards Track Athlete of the Year Mid-Atlantic: Shana Cox (Penn State) & Bobby Curtis (Villanova) West: Arianna Lambie (Stanford) & Garrett Heath (Stanford) South: Sarah Bowman (Tennessee) & Rubin Williams (Tennessee) Northeast: Marisa Ryan (Boston U.) & Arman Dixon (Sacred Heart) Midwest: Nickesha Anderson (Kansas) & Shaun Smith (Oral Roberts) South Central: Kelly Baptiste (LSU) & Leo Manzano (Texas) Southeast: Brianna Felnagle (North Carolina) & Josh McDougal (Liberty) Mountain: Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) & Kyle Perry (BYU) Great Lakes: Nicole Edwards (Michigan) & Brandon Bethke (Wisconsin) Field Athlete of the Year Mid-Atlantic: Gayle Huner (Penn State) & Justin Frick (Princeton) West: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> (Arizona State) & Norris Frederick (Washington) South: Brittney Reese (Mississippi) & Jake Dunkleberger (Auburn) Northeast: Tamara Highsmith (Connecticut) & Rory Quiller (Binghampton) Midwest: Brittany Riley (Southern Illinois) & Raven Cepeda (Northern Iowa) South Central: Andrea Linton (LSU) & Nkosinza Balumbu (Arkansas) Southeast: Brittany Pryor (Virginia Tech) & Mitch Greeley (Clemson) Mountain: Blessing Okagbare (UTEP) & Jake Shanklin (Wyoming) Great Lakes: Stevi Large (Akron) & Jonathan Pullum (Purdue)<separator></separator>Coach of the Year Mid-Atlantic: Pete Farrell (Princeton) & Steve Cooksey (Navy) West: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a> (Arizona State) & Vin Lananna (Oregon) South: J.J. Clark (Tennessee) & Bob Braman (Florida State) Northeast: Bill Morgan (Connecticut) & Nathan Taylor (Cornell) Midwest: Matt Bingle (Minnesota) & Curtis Bucknam (Northern Iowa) South Central: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/anderson_darryl00.html"… Anderson</a> (TCU) & Aaron Fox (UT-San Antonio) Southeast: Dave Cianelli (Virginia Tech) & Robert Oleson (Charlotte) Mountain: Bob Kitchens (UTEP) & Mark Robinson (BYU) Great Lakes: Kelly Lycan (Western Michigan) & Ed Nuttycombe (Wisconsin)<separator></separator>Assistant Coach of the Year Mid-Atlantic: Chris Johnson (Penn State) & Fritz Spence (Penn State) West: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/dumble_david00.html">Da… Dumble</a> (Arizona State) & Petros Kyprianou (Boise State) South: Brian O'Neal (Mississippi) & Nat Page (Georgia Tech) Northeast: Clive Terrelonge (Connecticut) & Kenneth Franklin (Sacred Heart) Midwest: Gary Wilson (Minnesota) & Brett Halter (Missouri) South Central: Vince Anderson (Texas A&M) & Jason Vigelante (Texas) Southeast: Berry Shumpert (Coastal Carolina) & Charles Foster (Clemson) Mountain: Calvin Robinson (UTEP) & <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/miller_dion00.html">Dion Miller</a> (Texas Tech) Great Lakes: Mike McGuire (Michigan) & Jerry Schumacher (Wisconsin)