Sine, Pullen, Basterrechea Top USTFCCCA West Region Awards
NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2019 NAIA Cross Country season were announced Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The Cascade Collegiate Conference’s Riley Sine (Northwest University) and Amelia Pullen (Warner Pacific University) were each named West Region Athletes of the Year for their respective genders, while Austin Basterrechea (College of Idaho) was named both the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.
Sine, a senior from Spokane Valley, Wash., won the individual title at the Cascade Conference Cross Country Championships in 25 minutes, 15.5 seconds. He also posted a victory at the CCC Preview and finished runner-up at the Warrior Invitational and the Willamette Invitational earlier in the season.
Pullen, a freshman from Washougal, Wash., won the individual title at the Cascade Conference Cross Country Championships in 17:35.7. She also posted victories at the Warner Pacific Classic and at the CCC Preview earlier this season.
Basterrechea, in his fourth year as head coach, led the Coyote men to the team title at the Cascade Conference Championships with 43 points and the women with 55 points. It was the men’s second consecutive title and the women’s first since 2013. It also was the first time since 2009 that the men's and women's titles went to the same school