Wabash junior Kevin McCarthy has been named the 2011 Men's Great Lakes Region Track Athlete of of the Year by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Clyde Morgan received the Great Lakes Region Men's Head Coach of the Year Award from the USTFCCCA at Wednesday night's awards banquet prior to the 2011 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
McCarthy (left) was honored after qualifying for nationals in three separate events. He will compete in the 3000-meter steeplechase, posting the third-quickest qualifying time this season at 8:58.66. McCarthy, who earned All-America honors at the 2010 Outdoor meet by finishing fifth in the 1500-meter run, also qualified for same event at this year's meet. His time of 3:50.68 is eighth-fastest in the field.
McCarthy also recorded a qualifying time in the 800-meter run at 1:51.36. However, he will only compete this week in the steeplechase.
"Kevin is just an amazing athlete," Morgan said. "We entered him in the 1500 this year as training for the steeplechase. All he did was go out and qualify for nationals. He uses his abilities and athleticism as well as anyone I've seen."
Morgan received the USTFCCCA's regional coaching award for the third time since coming to Wabash. He was named the 2010 and 2011 Men's Indoor Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. Morgan earned the 2011 outdoor coaching honors after guiding his Little Giant team to their first North Coast Athletic Conference track and field title with a record-setting total of 311.5 points and a number-one spot in the USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region computer rankings.
"Much like the conference coach of the year award, this regional award goes not just to me but to my staff," Morgan said. "Wabash doesn't score all those points without the hard work and effort of every athlete who competed this season. That work starts with our coaches — Roger Busch, Steve Rogers, Horace Turner, Steve House, and Rob Johnson."
For more information see: