NEW ORLEANS, La. – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2024 NCAA DII Cross Country season were announced on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) following the conclusion of the regular season.
Junior Jan Thewes was honored by being named the Atlantic Region Men's Athlete of the Year. Thewes won the individual title at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships in 29:51.0. Earlier in the season, Thewes also took top individual honors at the Mountain East Conference Championships in 25:00.2 as well as the Lock Haven Invitational in 24:10.5.
"It is great to see Jan's phenomenal season that has included being undefeated against NCAA D2 runners plus an individual conference and regional championship honored with being voted the Atlantic Region Runner of the year by our region coaches!," said Head Coach Jason Pyles. "Our entire team has seen the level of hard work he has put into his training day after day to make himself the runner he is today! We are all so proud of him! I'm hoping to see his last cross country race in the D&E singlet end with an all-American finish and historic team finish next weekend in California at the National Championships!"
Head Coach Jason Pyles was named the Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's teams for their outstanding performances this season. Pyles, in his ninth year as head coach at D&E, led the Senators to the men's team title at the Atlantic Region Championships with 40 points. The D&E men also won team titles at the Mountain East Conference Championships with 24 points, Paul Short Run Brown Division with 79 points and Lock Haven Invitational with 43 points. On the women's side, he led the Senators to the team title at the Atlantic Region Championships with 93 points. The D&E women also won the team title at the Mountain East Conference Championships with 41 points.
Pyles remarked on his awards, "I'm very grateful to be voted the coach of the year in the region by my peers, the coaches in the Atlantic region, but most of all thank my team - it's an honor I get to receive thanks to their success through the hard work and dedication they all put in to make this season special!"
The D&E men's and women's cross country teams will end their season on Saturday, November 23, at the 2024 NCAA DII Cross Country Championships in Sacramento, California. The meet will be held at the Arcade Creek Cross Country Course.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
Read the full list of award winners at the USTFCCCA website.
