PITTSBURG, Kansas– Earlier today the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced their Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2023 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field season.

Central Region Men’s Coach of the Year— Pitt State’s Kyle Rutledge– Pitt State head track and field coach Kyle Rutledge was named the Men’s Coach of the Year after the Gorillas won the NCAA 2023 Division II Indoor Championships National Title.

The men won by 44 points, scoring 86 total. They won the national Championship in five different events. Coach Rutledge had 12 First-team All-Americans.

Central Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year— Pitt State’s Cordell Tinch– Tinch was named the 2023 Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the Central Region.

Tinch won the National Championship this season in the Men’s 60m Hurdles and the Men’s High Jump. Earlier this season Tinch broke the All-time Div-II record in the 60m hurdles when he ran a 7.50.

Tinch currently owns 7 of the Top-10 times in all of Division-II history.

Central Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year— Pitt State’s L.J. Kiner– Kiner was named the 2023 Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for the Central Region.

Kiner was the 2023 NCAA Division II National Champion in the Men’s Long Jump at the Indoor Championships.

He set a meet record with a jump of 8.04M (26-4½) to make him the No. 3 performer in divisional history.

Central Region Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year— Pitt State’s Jesse Miller– Coach Miller was named this year’s Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

Coach Miller coached Pitt State jumpers to three national titles on the men’s side at the 2023 NCAA DII Indoor Championships. He also coached a national champ triple jumper on the women’s side.

Pitt State won the National Championship in four jumping events. Cordell Tinch (Men’s High Jump), L.J. Kiner (Men’s Long Jump), Treyvon Ferguson & Auna Childress (Men & Women’s Triple Jump).