Down the Backstretch

Ramsey Kavan of South Dakota and Denise Mokaya of Minnesota State-Mankato have been named the Outstanding Athletes for their efforts at the North Central Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships held February 29-March 1 in Mankato. Lucky Huber of South Dakota and Mark Schuck of Minnesota State-Mankato have been named the North Central Conference Indoor Track and Field Coaches of the Year.

Kavan, a sophomore from Yankton, SD, won the mile(5:01.4), 3,000 meter(10:13.01) and 1,000 meter(2:53.33) runs and ran a leg of the winning distance medley relay. Kavan had an NCAA provisional mark in the mile. South Dakota claimed the team title for the eighth time overall and third time in the last four years.

Moyaka, a junior from Ngong, Kenya, won the mile and 800-meter run at the Championships and helped lead Minnesota State to a 284-148 victory over second-place South Dakota. He ran the mile in 4:16.47 as Minnesota State took four of the top five places in the event. Mokaya won the 800 in 1:53.71, an NCAA provisional-qualifying time. Mokaya was the Outstanding Athlete at the 2007 NCC Cross Country Championships.

Huber guided South Dakota to its eighth NCC Indoor Track & Field Championship and the third in the last four years. The Coyotes captured seven event championships at the meet to finish with a 192-162 edge over second-place Minnesota State-Mankato. Huber is being honored for the sixth time in his career.

Schuck led Minnesota State to the largest margin of victory in the history of the league. The Mavericks captured 14 of the 19 events in the meet. Minnesota State has now claimed eight indoor NCC titles, including two of the last three.