Dave Osanitsch Earns Second USTFCCCA Coach of the Year Award This Season

May 25, 2006

EMPORIA, Kan. - Shippensburg first-year head track and field coach Dave Osanitsch was named NCAA Division II Men's Outdoor Track and Field East Region Coach of the Year on Tuesday by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). He was also named USTFCCCA Indoor Track and Field East Region Coach of the Year.

The USTFCCCA selects its its regional athlete and coaching awards following nominations by NCAA coaches to select award winners in their respective division. The awards were presented to both athletes and coaches on Wednesday evening at Emporia State University, site of the Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

While the honor is the second from the USTFCCCA this season, it is the third Coach of the Year honor for Osanitsch this season after he was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Men's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year on March 30.

In his first season, Osanitsch led the men's indoor and outdoor track and field teams to conference championships, the second-straight for the indoor team and the fourth consecutive for the outdoor team. The men achieved their highest-ever indoor season ranking in the history of the NCAA Division II Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Power Rankings at No. 9 overall and No. 1 in the East Region back in March.

Currently in his eighth year as a track and field coach at the college level for the 2005-06 season, Osanitsch returned to his alma mater in 2002 as an assistant coach, working primarily with the jumpers and multi-event athletes, a role he continues as the head coach.

After four years as an assistant coach, Osanitsch was named as the new head coach of the men's and women's track and field teams at Shippensburg University on July 11, 2005, succeeding current Shippensburg men's and women's cross country head coach Steve Spence who decided to step down in order to concentrate on building a prominent cross country program.

Since Osanitsch's arrival at Shippensburg, the jumps squad has garnered 13 individual PSAC championships and All-conference honors. He has also produced 11 NCAA Division II Championship provisional qualifiers and five All-Americans.

Shippensburg had three athletes qualify in four events for this week's NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Fran Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas.

- Red Raider Track and Field -