May 22, 2008

IRVINE, Calif. - Cal State Northridge track & field, coming off a Big West Championship on the women's side and a second place finish by the men, took home three major awards as the 2008 edition of the Big West Track & Field awards were announced by the Big West Conference on Wednesday.

In voting done by the eight conference coaches, Matador sophomore Sherrina Lofton was named Women's Track Athlete of the Year, freshman Reindell Cole was named Men's Freshman of the Year and Don Strametz was named Women's Coach of the Year.

Lofton, a sophomore from Fairfield, Calif. (Fairfield HS) became the first winner of the Women's Track Athlete of the Year award from Cal State Northridge since the Athlete of the Year award was split into separate track and field awards in 2003. Continuing the recent brillance of Northridge female sprinters, Lofton claimed the Big West title in the 100 and 200 as well as running the second leg on the Matadors' conference champion 4x100 relay and the anchor leg of 4x400 relay that also won the Big West title at the conference meet. Lofton owns the top time in the Big West in both the 100 and 200, both of which qualify her for NCAA Regionals.

Cole, a freshman from Las Vegas, Nev. (Desert Pines HS) becomes the first Matador to win Freshman Athlete of the Year honors in the four-year history of the award. Cole, the 2007 NCAA Indoor Champion in the long jump, won the Big West Championship in the long jump (7.67m), was a finalist in both the 100 and 200 and ran the anchor leg for the 4x100 meter relay that set the school record at 40.01. Cole owns the top long jump mark in the nation at 26-9.75 (8.17) which he set at the Steve Scott Invitational at UC Irvine on May, 4.

Strametz was named Big West Women's Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season and fifth time overall. He has now been honored as a Coach of the Year by the Big West on either the men's or women's side eight times since the Matadors joined the Big West in 2002. In addition to leading the Matador women to their third consecutive conference championship, Strametz also directed the Matador men to a runner-up finish in 2008. Under the direction of Strametz, the Cal State Northridge women's track & field team has won five Big West Championships while the 2008 edition posted the third-highest winning point total for the Matadors during their tenure in the Big West.

Men's Track Athlete of the Year Brent Gray, Long Beach State

Men's Field Athlete of the Year Chris Richardson, Long Beach State

Men's Freshman of the Year Reindell Cole, Cal State Northridge

Men's Coach of the Year Andy Sythe, Long Beach State

Women's Track Athlete of the Year Sherrina Lofton, Cal State Northridge

Women's Field Athlete of the Year Sharon Day, Cal Poly

Women's Freshman of the Year Phylicia Johnson, Long Beach State

Women's Coach of the Year Don Strametz, Cal State Northridge

- GO MATADORS -