Gunnelson Named USTFCCCA Indoor Central Region Coach of the Year
Mar 7, 2018
The 2018 IIAC Men's Indoor Championship Staff of the Year, adds Central Region Head Coach of the Year for Chad Gunnelson.
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2018 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season were announced Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The University of Dubuque's Chad Gunnelson earned the Men's Indoor Head Coach of the Year for the Central Region. Gunnelson, in his seventh year at Dubuque, has his men ranked 19th in the final National Team Rankings and No. 1 in the Central Region. The Spartans won the IIAC championship and qualified three entries to NCAAs. UD also features eight event groups listed in the top-15 of the final Event Squad Rankings, of which five are directly coached by Gunnelson.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
The Spartans won back-to-back Iowa Conference Men' sTrack and Field Indoor Championships in 2018, it was the school's 13th league title since 1961 in track and field.
USTFCCCA announced earlier this week the All-Region honorees for the 2018 NCAA Division III indoor track & field season with 15 University of Dubuque student-athletes making the Central Region list.
Women
Tanasha Atwater Shot Put
Kelsey Betthauser Weight Throw
Brittany Burks Meter Hurdles
Rebecca Burmahl Weight Throw
Jenna Heimark Central Triple Jump
Demetria Johnson 60 Meter Hurdles
Alyssa Skrove Long Jump
Alyssa Skrove Triple Jump
Adahja Weathers Shot Put
Men
Blaze Barista Triple Jump
Alec Bass 3000 Meters
Alec Bass 5000 Meters
Kelshawn Johnson 60 Meter Hurdles
Darrion Morgan High Jump
Blaze Murfin Shot Put
Blaze Murfin Weight Throw
Colfay Pointer 400 Meters
Kyle Thomas 60 Meters
Kyle Thomas 200 Meters
Out of the 13 Spartans grabbing All-Central Region honors, five of them will head to Birmingham, Ala., this weekend to compete in the 2018 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. Tanasha Atwater (Shot Put), Rebecca Burmahl (Weight Throw), Kelshawn Johnson (60m Hurdles), Blaze Murfin (Shot Put and Weight Throw) and Colfay Pointer (400m).
The Spartans captured their back-to-back Men's IIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship with a strong showing in the field events winning all, but two events. Excitement for the final event (4x400m relay) put the pressure on the Spartans. UD's relay did what it needed to do in the meet's final event, finishing third and holding off second-place Central. The Dutch were fourth in the final relay and ended up just seven points shy of the Spartans (131-138).
The women's team placed fourth with 91.5 points just a half a point out of third place. UD claimed two individual titles, Brittany Burks in 60m hurdles in :09.03 and Kelsey Betthauser in the weight throw with a toss of 16.70m/54-09.50.
Men's Top Performances:
Weight throw - 1. Blaze Murfin - 18.87m/61'-11.00" * Facility Record
Shot put 1. Josh Mathis - 15.96m/52'-04.50"
Shot put 3. Blaze Murfin - 15.91m/52'-02.50"
Triple jump - 4. Nicholas Beatty - 13.16m/43'-02.25"
Long jump - 1. Maurice Cushion-Lewis - 6.98m/22'-11.00"
Pole vault - 1. Ian Christ - 4.35m/14'-03.25"
High jump - 2. Darrion Morgan - 1.97m/6'-05.50"
3000m run - 1. Alec Bass - 8:45.58
5000m run - 2. Alec Bass - 15:00.13
4x400m relay - 3. Dubuque 3:28.82 (Lucas Hofer, Colfay Pointer, Hunter Klose, Tyler Fowler)
4x200m relay - 5. Dubuque 1:32.77 (Jeremiah Steed, Colfay Pointer, Ryan Kind, Isaiah Ellis)
60m hurdles - 3. Kelshawn Johnson :08.30
400m dash - 1. Colfay Pointer - :49.45 * Facility Record
400m dash - 5. Lucas Hofer - :50.72
200m dash - 2. Colfay Pointer - :22.62
Women's Top Performances:
60m hurdles - 1 Brittany Burks - :09.03
60m hurdles - 3. Demetria Johnson - :09.28
4x200m relay - 4. Dubuque - 1:47.36 (Brittany Burks, Alyssa Skrove, Asha Flowers, Tierra Hildebrandt)
4x400m relay - 6. Dubuque - 4:20.49 (Ruby Williams, Deja Ware, Alyssa Skrove, Aleyha Slatter)
4x400m relay - 4. Dubuque - 10:00.44 (Heather Muntz, Jade Romagna, Isabella Mazzanti, Megan Ely)
Distance Medley Relay - 6. Dubuque - 13:13.52 (Heather Muntz, Ruby Williams, Isabella Mazzanti, Jade Romagna)
Pole vault - 6. Jenna Heimark - 2.90m/9'-06.25"
Long jump - 5. Alyssa Skrove - 5.07m/16'-07.75"
Long jump - 6. Demetria Johnson - 5.06m/16'-07.25"
Triple jump - 2. Jenna Heimark - 11.22m/36'-09.75" *Facility Record
Shot put - 2. Tanasha Atwater - 13.97m/45'-10.00" *Facility Record
Shot put - 5. Adahja Weathers - 13.06m/42'-10.25"
Weight throw - 1. Kelsey Betthauser - 16.70m/54-09.50
Weight throw - 2. Rebecca Burmahl - 16.47m/54'-00.50"
Weight throw - 4. Shelby Lane - 15.74m/51'-07.75"
Weight throw - 5. Adahja Weathers - 15.62m/51'-03.00"
Women - Team Rankings - 19 Events Scored
1) Wartburg College - 212.50
2) Nebraska Wesleyan University - 182
3) Loras College - 92
4) University of Dubuque - 91.50
5) Central College - 70
6) Luther College - 30
7) Coe College - 28
8) Buena Vista University - 17
8) Simpson College - 17
Men - Team Rankings - 19 Events Scored
1) University of Dubuque - 138
2) Central College - 131
3) Wartburg College - 114
4) Loras College - 113
5) Nebraska Wesleyan University - 101
6) Simpson College - 84
7) Buena Vista University - 31
8) Luther College - 20
