Lock Haven, Pa. - All-Americans Chris Clark of California (Pa.) and Nafee Harris of IUP have named the PSAC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year as they highlight the PSAC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field postseason award winners. Shippensburg’s Andrew Batula has been named the Freshman of the Year while East Stroudsburg’s Joe Koch has been named the Coach of the Year.
Three of the four award winners are different from the PSAC Indoor Track & Field award winners that were announced in March following the indoor season. Batula was also the freshman of the year for the indoor season.
Clark puts a cap on his career by capturing the Track Athlete of the Year award after also being named the cross country Athlete of the Year in the fall season after finishing fourth at the NCAA meet. Clark won the 10,000 meters at the PSAC championships earlier this month and also placed fifth in the 1500 meters. He also ran to a pair of All-American finishes at the NCAA meet last weekend as he placed eighth in both the 5000 and 10,000 meters. Also a top scholar in the classroom, the graduate student was a PSAC Fall Top 10 award recipient this academic year.
Harris is the Field Athlete of the Year after capping his season with an individual national championship in the long jump at last weekend’s NCAA championships. A two-time All-American this year, he also was on the eighth place 4x100 relay team at NCAAs. He also won the long jump at the PSAC championships and was a part of the second-place 4x100 relay team and also finished seventh in the triple jump at the PSAC meet. His efforts helped the Crimson Hawks to a fourth place team finish at the PSAC meet and they also finished 15th at the NCAA meet.
Batula adds the outdoor Freshman of the Year award to his indoor award after winning the high jump event at the PSAC meet and turning in an All-American performance at the NCAA meet by finishing in eighth place. Batula also won the high jump at the PSAC indoor meet in February and placed 10th in the event at the NCAA indoor meet in March.
Koch led East Stroudsburg to a second place finish at the PSAC championships in early May, after which the Warriors qualified six men to the NCAA championships. The Warriors made a late dash at the PSAC championship on the final day of the meet before falling just short to champion Shippensburg. East Stroudsburg still finished second at the PSAC meet for the first time in 30 years and also scored the most points in school history at the conference meet. At the PSAC meet, the Warriors received first place finishes by Andrew McCloskey in both the 100 and 200 meters, from Paul Wagner in the hammer throw, Rusty Smith in the 110 hurdles, Matt Gallup in the pole vault and from the 4x100 relay team.
2009 PSAC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Awards
Track Athlete of the Year
Chris Clark, California (Pa.)
Field Athlete of the Year
Nafee Harris, IUP
Freshman of the Year
Andrew Batula, Shippensburg
Coach of the Year
Joe Koch, East Stroudsburg