May 19, 2002

IRVINE, Calif. - After winning two events at this year's league track championships Utah State's Brett Guymon was named the Big West Conference Track Athlete of the Year, while Aggie head coach Gregg Gensel earned the men's Coach of the Year honor after coaching USU to the men's team title.

Gensel, who guided the men to their sixth league championship in the last nine years, but their first in the last three years, earned the honor for the sixth time in his career. Gensel, who is in his 21st year at USU, including his 15th as the head coach, previously was named the league's top men's coach in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, and 1999.

In all, Gensel has been tabbed a Big West Coach of the Year 13 times, including six times as the men's outdoor coach, four times as the women's outdoor coach and three times as cross country coach of the year. He was also the 1993 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Track Coach of the Year.

Guymon, a senior from Huntington, Utah won individual titles in the 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles this season. That pushed his individual conference title total to five as he is a three-time 400-meter hurdles champion and has won the 110-meter hurdles twice in his career. Guymon won the 110 with a time of 14.12 and the 400 with a time of 50.83.

Guymon became the sixth Aggie to be named the conference athlete of the year as Craig Carter earned the honor in 1989, Bode Osagiobare in both 1992 and 1993, James Parker in 1995 and Corey Murdock in 1998.

Utah State won the men's championship with a score of 180. Cal Poly was runner-up with 135 points. The Aggie women were fourth with 92 points behind Cal State Northridge (193), Cal Poly (124) and UC Irvine (116).

Cal State Northridge swept the women's honors as Don Strametz was named the women's coach of the year and Annetta Wells was named the athlete of the year.