The eight Big West Track & Field major awards were spread among four teams as the conference announced the winners of the Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.
On the men's side, host and men's team champion Cal State Northridge claimed two of the four honors as DaShalle Andrews won the Male Field Athlete of the Year and head coach Don Strametz claimed Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive season and fourth time overall. Long Beach State took home the other two awards as Brent Gray was tabbed the Male Track Athlete of the Year, while Alex Goldberg was named the Male Freshman of the Year.
For the women, UC Santa Barbara claimed two of the awards as Stephanie Rothstein repeated as the Female Track Athlete of the Year, while teammate Amy Haapanen claimed the Female Field Athlete of the Year. Brenda Martinez of UC Riverside was recognized as the Female Freshman of the Year after an outstanding rookie season, while Strametz swept the Coach of the Year awards by being named the top women's coach.
Gray (Carson, Calif.) became the second 49er athlete to claim Male Athlete of the Year in as many seasons after Chris Richardson won the Field Athlete of the Year honor a year ago. The junior had the league’s top time in the 100-and 200-meter entering the conference meet and didn’t disappoint with individual crowns in both events. Gray, who was a two-time Athlete of the Week this season, added a third title in the 4x400-meter relay, qualified for the NCAA Regionals in both the 100 and 200 and set a school record in the 200 during the Big West Championships.
Andrews (Phoenx, Ariz.) is the first Matador Athlete of the Year since 2004 when Jason Romero took home the Male Field Athlete of the Year award. Andrews took home the individual titles in both the long jump (7.74m) and the triple jump (15.73m), both results easily surpassing NCAA Regional qualifying standards. He entered the championship meet with the top mark in the long jump and also won the individual title in the event during the 2005 Big West Championships.
Goldberg (Woodbridge, Calif.) earned his Male Freshman of the Year award after a solid season in the sprints. The talented freshman was a part of the winning 4x400-meter relay contingent at the Big West Championships, finished second in the 400 and third in the 200-meter. He is also an NCAA Regional qualifer in the 400 with a time that is 11th-fastest in the West Region.
Rothstein (Phoenix, Ariz.), the 2006 Female Athlete of the Year, had a spectacular season in the distance events in her final go-round as a Gaucho. She set Big West records in the 5,000 (16:12.77) and 10,000 (33:26.79) leading up to the conference championship meet, both times being well under the NCAA Regional standard. At the championships, she finished second in the 5,000-meter run and was the winner in the 10,000, her second straight individual crown in the event.
Haapanen (Manteca, Calif.) was as equally impressive in the throwing events as her teammate Rothstein was in the distance events. The senior had the top marks in the shot put and hammer, while ranking second in the discus leading up to the Big West Championships. Her mark in the hammer established a new conference record. At the conference meet, Haapanen recorded a personal best 15.93 meters for the gold in the shot put and added another individual title in the hammer with a meet-record effort of 62.88 meters.
Martinez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) was an impressive middle distance runner in her first season in a Highlander uniform. The freshman blew away the field in the 1,500-meter run at the Big West Championships, finishing the race in an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 4:23.87. Coming into the conference meet, she had already qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the event and in the 800-meter run. Her qualifying time in the 800 (2:06.76) was even more impressive considering she had never run the event before in a competition.
Strametz won the Coach of the Year honors on both sides after leading the Matadors to the team championships at the Big West meet, the first time one school has won both titles since Idaho accomplished the feat in 2001. The CSUN men won the title after its efforts for a three-peat were thwarted by Long Beach State last season. The Matador women’s contingent won their second straight championship and third in the last four years over the club that defeated them in 2005, UC Santa Barbara. Strametz has now won Coach of the Year honors three times on the men’s side and four times on the women’s end.
2007 Big West Track & Field Honors
Men's Track Athlete of the Year
Brent Gray, Long Beach State
Men's Field Athlete of the Year
DaShalle Andrews, Cal State Northridge
Men's Freshman of the Year
Alex Goldberg, Long Beach State
Men's Coach of the Year
Don Strametz, Cal State Northridge
Women's Track Athlete of the Year
Stephanie Rothstein, UC Santa Barbara
Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Amy Haapanen, UC Santa Barbara
Women's Freshman of the Year
Brenda Martinez, UC Riverside
Women's Coach of the Year
Don Strametz, Cal State Northridge