Richards and Molinaro named USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Track Athletes of the Year, Maus named Head Coach of the Year
By Caleb Scott
ADA — For the second time this season, the duo of seniors Matt Molinaro (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle) and Emily Richards (Delaware/Hayes) swept the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Great Lakes Region Track Athlete of the Year awards.
Molinaro and Richards each won the honor during their 2018 indoor campaigns.
Molinaro, now a 4-time Great Lakes Region Track Athlete of the Year, will look to claim back-to-back national titles in the 800-meter run and become one of only three athletes in school history to win multiple national titles.
The All-American and National Champion will compete in both the 800-meter run and the 1,500-meter run this weekend at the NCAA Div. III National Championships in La Crosse, Wis.
Richards, a 7-time National Champion, earned the honor for the sixth time in her career and has now swept the indoor and outdoor honor for the third consecutive season.
The senior enters this years NCAA Div. III CHampionships in La Crosse, Wis. with the fastest time nationally in the 800 and 1,500-meter runs and will look to win both titles for the third consecutive time and will look to claim two national titles in the same championship meet for the fourth consecutive time.
Maus was named the USTFCCCA All-Great Lakes Region Women's Head Coach of the Year afer guiding the Polar Bears to an Ohio Athletic Conference title in back-to-back seasons and being named the OAC Coach of the Year.
Maus guided ONU to top-10 rankings in seven of the eight national polls this season. He earns the honor for the second time in his career.
Seven athletes will represent the Polar Bears this weekend as they compete in the 2018 NCAA Div. III National Championships in La Crosse, Wis.