ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men and women's indoor track and field teams announced their awards for the 2019 season as voted on by members of the team. Senior Jenna Shelton (Cabot, PA/Knoch) was named the Most Valuable Player of the women's team while Braeden Smith (Erie, PA/Seneca) and Nick Lachut (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) were voted co-MVP's on the men's side. Julia Fasiczka (North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin) and Amory Coleman-Reeves (Erie, PA/Cathedral Prep) earned Rookie of the Year awards. Throwers Myeisha Sanders (Erie, PA/East) and Jake Rose (Erie, PA/Iroquois) tallied Most Improved while Gabriella Loeffler (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) and Chris Drozynski (Stoneboro, PA/Lakeview) won the Scholarship & Leadership awards.
Shelton became just the second woman in Behrend history to break 2:17.00 in the indoor 800m. She finished the season ranked in the Top-35 in the NCAA. Shelton was named All-Region and earned a spot on the All-AARTFC team. This season, she also ran legs on the AARTFC qualifying 4x400 and DMR relays, leading off the 1200m leg of the DMR for a new school record.
Smith earned his third NCAA championship trip while winning four high jump competitions in the season. He set the school high jump record at 2.08m (6' 9.75") which led the MidEast Region. Smith earned All-Region honors by being the top jumper in the MidEast Region for the third consecutive season and was voted the MidEast Field Athlete of the Year.
Lachut was a part of the 4x200m relay which earned All-AARTFC honors for the second year in a row, along with leading the pole vaulters. He helped lead the vaulters to own the Top-3 spots in the Mideast Region along with earning the top seed. Lachut had his first NCAA qualifying season in the pole vault with a season best 4.81m (15' 9.25"). His pole vault rank earned him All-Region honors.
Fasiczka earned the women's Rookie of the Year award. She ran on the school record-breaking DMR team (12:30.63) which placed at AARTFC meet. Fasiczka also qualified in the 4x400m relay with a time of 4:06.44.
Men's Rookie of the Year, Coleman-Reeves qualified for AARTFC in the 60m and long jump. His 60m time of 7.09 is the 10th best-time in program history. The long jump mark of 6.83m (22' 5") ranks second in school history and is the top freshman indoor record.
Sanders is Most Improved on the women's side. A comeback story, she broke the school record in weight throw as a junior before suffering a season ending injury. This season she came back broke her own record by a meter, throwing 14.50m (47' 7") and qualified for the AARTFC meet.
Rose was named the men's Most Improved athlete. Last indoor season, he threw 11.39m in the shot put. Rose improved by more almost nine feet this season, throwing 14.06m. This throw qualified him for AARTFC in the shot put for his first time.
Drozynski and Loeffler were named the Scholarship & Leadership award winners. Both athletes helped lead by example, earned many team and individual awards. Drozynski was a six-time All-CSAC and three-time scorer at the AARTFC meet while also excelling in cross country. Loeffler, a five-time CSAC champion, racked up 13 CSAC honors, one AARTFC honor, and was All-ECAC six times. She helped lead her team to an ECAC indoor team championship, and as a senior was honored as a USTFCCCA All-Region team member.