TERRE HAUTE, IND. --
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology earned 13 all-Heartland
Collegiate Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field
all-conference honors, including three major award winners, in
results released today by the league office.
Senior Sutton Coleman (Lebanon, Va.) captured HCAC Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors. Junior Liz Evans (Bicknell/North Knox) was named Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. Head coach Larry Cole and his coaching staff were named Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year.
Coleman won HCAC Most Valuable Outdoor Track Athlete honors for the third consecutive year. He completes his career with a combined 21 indoor and outdoor individual and relay conference championships, including 14 outdoor titles.
Coleman captured four career championships in the 110-meter high hurdles, four titles in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, and four championships as the anchor leg for the 4-x-400 meter relay team. He won all three events in last weekend's meet at Franklin College.
Evans won her second
consecutive conference championship in the high jump and in the
long jump to lead the team's effort. She also ran the anchor
leg for the winning 4-x-100 meter relay squad for the second
consecutive year.
Over the past two years, Evans has won five individual HCAC titles and been a part of two relay championship teams.
Cole earned the 10th conference Coach of the Year award in his 24-year NCAA Division III coaching career, including his eighth Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honor.
His efforts have helped Rose-Hulman squads earn five consecutive HCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, marking the first time since the track and field squads from 1985-89 accomplished the feat. Rose-Hulman has also won two men's and one women's HCAC Indoor Championships since 2011.
Cole's coaching staff included assistant
coaches Matthew Cole (jumps and hurdles) and Christy Sherman
(throwing events), along with volunteer coaches Adriane
Wunderlich (distance) and Jake Whitsitt (student assistant).
In addition to Coleman, senior Micah Aldrich (Indianapolis/Warren Central) earned running event all-conference honors. Aldrich received the award for winning the 5,000-meter run in a time of 15:28.21.
Men's field event winners included junior Collin Crowson (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome) and junior Travis Stallings (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain). Crowson won the men's pole vault with a conference record mark of 16' 0" that topped the previous HCAC record held by Rose-Hulman All-American Ryan Schipper. Stallings won the long jump with a leap of 22' 7" that ranks fourth in school history.
The 4-x-400 meter relay team of freshman Blake Schulthies (Dubois/Northeast Dubois), junior Tyler Hannan (Winchester, Ky./George Rogers Clark), Stallings and Coleman also earned all-conference honors for their efforts. The squad capped the meet with a victory in a time of 3:22.41.
On the women's side, Rose-Hulman tallied four individual championships and swept both relay events.
In addition to Evans, junior Tanya Colonna (Brecksville, Ohio) claimed field event all-conference honors. Colonna topped her own conference record with a school record performance of 11' 1 3/4" in the women's pole vault to claim a conference title.
Junior Creasy Clauser (Crawfordsville/Southmont) added a running event all-conference award for winning the 400-meter dash. Clauser completed the event in a time of 59.56 seconds.
Both the 4-x-100 and 4-x-400 meter relay teams earned all-conference honors after conference championship performances.
The 4-x-100 meter relay team of junior Gloria Boxell (Zionsville/Covenant Christian), sophomore Erin Cox (West Harrison/Franklin County), Clauser and Evans won in a time of 50.54 seconds that ranks second in school history.
The 4-x-400 meter relay team of Clauser, sophomore Ryann-Rebecca Montgomery (Lafayette, La./Episcopal School of Acadia), freshman Jessica Waldren (Indianapolis/Ben Davis) and Boxell added a victory in the final women's event of the championship with a time of 4:13.92.
In addition, HCAC sportsmanship winners were announced. Boxell was the women's recipient, with junior Evan Land (Greenwood/Center Grove) chosen the men's recipient.
Individuals from Rose-Hulman's squad will compete in the Billy Hayes Invitational at Indiana University on Friday.