Reed Captures USTFCCCA Highest Honor; Fogelsanger Named COY
Senior Amy Reed is the first track and field performer in Messiah's history to garner a national athlete of the year award.

Oshkosh, WI — Before the first event of the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships had even begun, the Messiah College track and field program was busy making history.

Senior Amy Reed was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Women's Field Athlete of the Year, the top individual award bestowed by the organization and first Messiah recipient in its history.

Reed, a senior from Wenatchee, Wash., was also named the USTFCCCA Mid-East Regional Field Athlete of the Year, her third consecutive honor.

Joining Reed was Messiah head coach Dale Fogelsanger, who was named the USTFCCCA Mid-East Regional Women’s Coach of the Year. The announcements were made at Wednesday evening’s national championships banquet, a ceremony for coaches and athletes competing at the championship meet.

Taking place at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships begin Thursday at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.

“This is really a tremendous honor,” Fogelsanger said following Wednesday’s banquet. “For Amy to be named the national field athlete of the year, that is really something special.”

Reed qualified for three field events at this year’s national championships, competing in the heptathlon, the javelin throw and the triple jump. She is the top seed in the heptathlon event (her 4,689 points at the Penn Relays was the best total in the nation at the Division III level), while she enters as the third seed in the javelin and 13th seed in the triple jump competition.

A three-time All-American, Reed was the national runner-up in last year’s heptathlon and finished fourth in the javelin.

“There’s not too many athletes here (at the national championships) participating in three field events, especially if you include the heptathlon,” Fogelsanger said. “Considering there are 400-some-odd Division III schools out there, it is awfully impressive what Amy has done.”

Fogelsanger’s regional coach of the year award could be classified in the same light, as the Falcons’ 14th-year leader guided his women’s team to the 2008 MAC Conference Championship, automatically or provisionally qualifying six women for the national championships. Messiah women placed in all 21 conference track and field events, while the Falcons’ 10 national qualifiers overall was a program record.

“I’m so grateful to our assistant coaches and the 46 women on this year’s team,” Fogelsanger said. “I praise God for the experience that was the 2008 Messiah College track and field team, and the times we had together.”

Illinois Wesleyan University senior Rachel Anderson was named the USTFCCCA National Women's Track Athlete of the Year, while Hamilton College’s Peter Kosgei (track) and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Kyle Steiner (field) earned mirroring awards on the men's slate. An official USTFCCCA press release regarding award winners can be viewed here.

Fogelsanger and seven athletes now gear up for the national championships, with events beginning Thursday and concluding Saturday. Event schedules, qualifiers and results can be found at the national championships website. Up-to-the-minute results can also be found at www.raceberryjam.com.