USTFCCCA Press Release

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Prior to the 2016 NJCAA Division III Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its second annual NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year. Winners of each region were selected based on voting from USTFCCCA member coaches.

For Harper College men's track and field, sophomore Adam Brauer (Palatine, lll./Palatine) was named the Central Region Men's Track Athlete of the Year. Fellow sophomore Laith Kanan (/Palatine) was named the Central Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year. On the coaching side, Renee Zellner was named the Central Region Men's Coach of the Year for a second time, and first year assistant coach Dan Lowry was named the Central Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.

Brauer finished the regular season No. 1 among NJCAA DIII men at 10,000 meters and was ranked No. 2 in both the steeplechase and at 5000 meters. Kanan came into the national meet ranked first in the nation in the hammer throw and third in both the shot put and discus.

Zellner had the men's team ranked No. 3 in the USTFCCCA NJCAA DIII National Team Rankings and the top-ranked team in the Central Region. Lowry, who was a former athlete for Zellner, helped guide Kanan to high rankings in the hammer, discus, and shot put. Entering the national meet, Lowry was helping guide three top-10 shot putters, three top-10 discus throwers, and three top-10 hammer throwers.