Johnson, Kraft, Dumble honored by USTFCCCA

June 13, 2008

The United States Track & Field, Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its annual region awards on Friday, June 13 with three members of the Arizona State University track and field program collecting four total honors. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a>, the 12th-year head coach of the Sun Devil program, was selected as both the men's and 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> was selected as the Women's West Region Assistant Coach of the Year and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> was selected as the Women's West Region Field Athlete of the Year.<separator></separator>Kraft has guided his women's program to three-consecutive national team titles, including the 2007 NCAA Indoor, 2007 NCAA Outdoor and 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships while also leading the team to three-consecutive Pac-10 Conference Championships. His men's teams have continued to charge up the national standings and won their first national indoor title by capturing the 2008 NCAA meet, marking only the second time in NCAA history that the same school has swept the men's and women's indoor titles in the same season.<separator></separator>Dumble is the architect of one of the top throws programs in the nation as his women have won two individual national titles in the shot put with three women garnering 16 total All-America honors in the past three and one-half seasons. This year, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/pressley_jessica00.html… Pressley</a> leads the nation in the shot put with a toss of 18.79m, the fifth-best in NCAA history, while ranking among the Top 8 in the hammer and discus as well. The defending national champion in the shot put, Pressley's teammate <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/stevens_sarah00.html">S… Stevens</a> also ranks among the Top 8 in all three throws while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/battle_tai00.html">Tai Battle</a> will look to capture the discus crown this year after taking second last year.<separator></separator>Johnson has done it all for the Sun Devils in her time in the Valley as she has won three indoor pentathlon and three outdoor heptathlon crowns while securing three more heptathlon crowns at the Pac-10 Championships. The 2008 Honda Sports Award recipient as the top female collegiate track and field athlete in the nation, Johnson scored 6,307 points in the heptathlon at the 2008 Pac-10 Championships to set a conference and school record and take the world lead (at the time). Currently ranked eighth in the world, Johnson is looking to become only the fourth woman in NCAA history to win the same event four times in a career.<separator></separator>The Sun Devils are currently competing in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, with two days of the meet remaining (Friday and Saturday).<separator></separator>2008 USTFCCCA West Region Honors Women's Awards Head Coach of the Year - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a> (Arizona State) Assistant Coach of the Year - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/dumble_david00.html">Da… Dumble</a> (Arizona State) Track Athlete of the Year - Alysia Johnson (Cal) & Nicole Leach (UCLA) Field Athlete of the Year - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/johnson_jacquelyn00.htm… Johnson</a> (Arizona State)<separator></separator>Men's Awards Head Coach of the Year - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/kraft_greg00.html">Greg Kraft</a> (Arizona State) Assistant Coach of the Year - Raul Sheen (Long Beach State) Track Athlete of the Year - Andrew Wheating (Oregon) Field Athlete of the Year - Corey White (USC)