Zywicki named USTFCCCA Division II Central Region Men’s Athlete of the Year

GOLDEN, Colo. – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Wednesday the winners of USTFCCCA Region Athletes and Coaches of the Year honors for the 2010 cross country season in Division II as voted by the division’s coaches.

Three-time All-American Ben Zywicki earned the honor for the Central Region becoming the first CSM cross country athlete to earn USTFCCCA Central Region Athlete of the Year honors.

Zywicki, a senior from Colorado Springs, Colo. (Rampart H.S.), won the individual title at the 2010 Division II Central Region Cross Country Championships in Wayne, Neb. on Saturday, Nov. 20th. Zywicki beat out Western State’s Sean Brown in a photo finish by .01 seconds with a time of 31:03.37.

Earlier this season, Zywicki won the Fort Hays Tiger Open with the fastest 8 K time in school history (23:48.6). Zywicki also has the second fastest 8 K time (24:03) in school history which he ran helping Mines to a second-place finish at the Greater Louisville Classic as he placed in the top five among DII finishers and 15th overall out of 323 total competitors.

The Oredigger men will be making their sixth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Division II National Championships. In the squad’s last five appearances at the National Championships the men have finished in the top ten including at third-place finish last season.

The CSM men’s team will compete at the 2010 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships held in Louisville, Ky. hosted by Bellarmine University at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park on Saturday, Dec. 4th at 9:00 am MST.