NEW ORLEANS (Blugolds.com) – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced their Program of the Year Awards Wednesday, with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's cross country/track and field programs winning the honor.
This is the first time the Blugolds have won the award which is given annually to the most outstanding cross country/track & field programs in each of the NCAA's three divisions and for each gender. The award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution's finish at the NCAA Championships.
In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships. Scoring is based on the team's finish at each NCAA Championship in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award recipient. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.
Last year the Blugolds finished runner-up in the race for the Al Carius Program of the Year Award, but this year they left everybody else fighting for second.
Back-to-back thrilling wins in cross country and indoor track & field left UW-Eau Claire one outdoor title away from becoming the first team since North Central (Ill.) in 2010-11 to complete the Triple Crown. The Blugolds fell short of that goal with a runner-up effort in Iowa as they scored 33 points to UW-La Crosse's 41.
