草榴社区's Brown, Porter named Male and Female Athletes of the Year
Two athletes who ended their careers with historic senior seasons, pole vaulter Ryan Brown and distance runner Sarah Porter, have been named Western Washington University Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively, for 2010-11. The announcement was made Tuesday at the first Dub-Dub-Blue awards ceremony.
It is the third straight time that Porter, who shared the honor as a sophomore, has been recognized. Brown received the accolade for the second consecutive year. Their names will be added once again to the G. Robert Ross Memorial Trophy.
“These are the first two athletes I’ve coached here who have the potential to go on to the next level,” said Western track coach Pee Wee Halsell (24th year). “It’s been so much fun to watch them grow as people and athletes. Both overcame adversity, Ryan weathering a slump and Sarah injuries, and grew from those experiences. That was as amazing to see as a coach as their athletic accomplishments.”
Brown, a graduate of Bellingham’s Squalicum High School, successfully defended his men’s pole vault titles at both the NCAA Division II national indoor and outdoor championships. Prior to this year, no Viking athlete had ever won back-to-back national titles.
Brown was a four-time United States Track and field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-America. Named USTFCCCA NCAA II National Indoor Male Field Athlete of the Year, he was the West Region Indoor Male Field Athlete of the Year for the third straight year and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Male Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Brown broke his own school and conference indoor pole vault title for the fourth consecutive season, having a school and conference best effort of 17-5. He was the first GNAC athlete to reach 17-feet in both indoor and outdoor competition.
Brown posted his outdoor best of 17-8 1/2 last year. He went over 17-feet in three of his four national triumphs, reaching 16-11 in the other.
Porter, a graduate of Hockinson High School, was a four-time All-America during the 2010-11 school year, bringing her career total to a school record 12. She earned All-America honors in three sports for the third straight year and competed at nationals 12 times, going all four years in three sports.
Porter earned USTFCCCA West Region Female Athlete of the Year honors in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. She also was the GNAC cross country and indoor Female Athlete of the Year, sharing the indoor honor.
Porter won the 10,000 meters at the outdoor nationals in a meet record time of 33:17.39, the fourth fastest in NCAA II history, and placed second in the 5,000.
Her national 10,000 time was both a school and conference record and automatically qualified her for another trip to USA Championships in late June. Last year, she became the school’s first athlete to compete in that meet.
Earlier this spring, Porter was the GNAC 10,000 champion for the second time after winning the 5,000 at the conference indoor meet. She went on to place third in the 5,000 at the indoor nationals in March.
Last fall, she was runner-up at the NCAA II cross country championships for the second straight year after earning regional all-star honors for the fourth time by winning both the GNAC and regional individual titles.
Porter broke four school outdoor records this spring, three that she already held, in the 1,500, 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000. She also finished with three school indoor records in the mile, 3,000 and 5,000.
“Both Ryan and Sarah are very competitive people, who do things much differently, but the results are the same,” Halsell said.