CCC Sweeps USTFCCCA West Region Cross Country Awards
NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2020 NAIA Cross Country season were announced on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association following the conclusion of the regular season.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
The Cascade Collegiate Conference won all four awards for the West Region as No. 8-ranked Lewis-Clark State College saw Cole Olsen grab West Region Men’s Athlete of the Year and Mike Collins earn West Region Men’s Coach of the Year. On the women’s side, No. 12-ranked Oregon Tech’s Faith Widman was named the West Region Women’s Athlete of the Year and No. 2-ranked College of Idaho’s Austin Basterrechea grabbed West Region Women’s Coach of the Year.
Olsen, a senior from Clearwater, Idaho, is undefeated with his most recent victory coming at the Cascade Conference Cross Country Championships in 24:18.0. He also won individual titles at both the Lewis-Clark State Winter Invitational I & II, as well as the Bushnell (Ore.) Invitational.
Collins, in his 24th season at Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), coached the Warriors to the team title with 54 points at the Cascade Cross Country championships. Earlier in the season, the Warriors won the Lewis-Clark State Winter Invitational I and Bushnell (Ore.) Invitational, while finishing runner-up at the Lewis-Clark State Winter Invitational II.
Widman, a junior from Fairbanks, Alaska, is undefeated with her most recent victory coming at the Cascade Conference Cross Country Championships in 17:41.0. She also won individual titles at the Oregon Tech-Corban Dual Meet, the Lane CC Invitational, the Bushnell (Ore.) Invitational and the Bushnell (Ore.) Open.
Basterrechea, in his fifth season at College of Idaho, coached the Yotes to the team title with 33 points at the Cascade Cross Country Championships. Earlier in the season, the Yotes went undefeated with team titles at the Lewis-Clark State Winter Invitational II, College of Idaho Ice Chipper and the CI/EOU Dual In The Dirt.