NEW ORLEANS, La. – On the eve of the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships, two Chico State representatives heading to San Angelo, Texas, can already call themselves winners. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Monday named Wildcat Michael Wickman the D-II West Region Men's Track Athlete of the Year, while Gary Towne was selected as the Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

Wickman, who this week will compete for the national title in the 800- and 1,500-meter run, posted the fastest time in the 800-meters by any Division II runner this season with a time of 1:49.38 May 9 at the Occidental Invitational. The junior from Walnut Creek also registered the fifth-best time nationwide in the 1,500-meters (3:44.45) at the Oxy Invite. Wickman won both events at the recent California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Track & Field Championships at Chico State’s University Stadium.

The USTFCCCA accolade is the latest in a long string of Coach of the Year awards for Towne, who last fall guided the Chico State men’s and women’s cross country teams to third and seventh place finishes, respectively, in the NCAA Division II Championships. This spring Towne has mentored seven Wildcats runners who will compete in distance events at this week’s D-II Track & Field Championships at Angelo State University’s LeGrand Sports Complex.

Three other CCAA representatives received West Region honors Monday from the USTFCCCA – UC San Diego’s Danielle Thu was named Female Athlete of the Year; Kendra Reimer of Cal State L.A. won the Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year award; and Darcy Ahner of UC San Diego was selected as Women’s Head Coach of the Year.