NEW ORLEANS (blugolds.com) – National Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2022 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field season were announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Marcus Weaver (So.- Lewiston, MN/Lewiston-Altura) was named Men's Field Athlete of the Year while Head Coach Chip Schneider was named Men's Coach of the Year.
Member coaches voted on these honors following the conclusion of the 2022 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Geneva, Ohio, but considered performances during both the regular season and the NCAA postseason.
Weaver swept the decathlon and javelin events for the second year in a row at the national meet. Prior to Weaver's feat, the sweep had never been done in Division III history. Weaver's total of 7486 in this year's decathlon just missed his PR score of 7510. During the regular season, the Lewiston, Minn. native won the decathlon at the WIAC Outdoor Championships by more than 600 points and claimed the javelin title at the prestigious Drake Relays.
Schneider, in his 20th year guiding the UW-Eau Claire track & field program, led the Blugolds to the national team title at the 2022 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Blugolds scored 73 points, the most by a men's team champion since 2007. Eau Claire tallied at least four points in nine different events, which included a 1-3-4 finish in the decathlon and several other event crowns.
The outdoor title is the second for the program and second of the year as the Blugolds were the Co-National Champions for the indoor season as well. The men's program has now won 5 national titles since 2015.
