Texas Tech University Athletics
Kittley, Usoro Honored with Mountain Region Awards
June 07, 2021 | Track and Field
Ruth Usoro named Mountain Region’s women’s field athlete of the year for third time, Kittley honored as top women’s coach for fifth time.
NEW ORLEANS – Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Wes Kittley was honored as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's Mountain Region Women's Coach of the Year, while Ruth Usoro was voted the region's Women's Field Athlete of the Year.
"I'm incredibly proud of what our women's team has done this year, and this award is a testament to that," said Kittley, who has been a Mountain Region coach of the year nine times outdoors, and five times for his women's teams. "Ruth has had an incredible year, and I'm excited for her to compete here at nationals this week."
Kittley's women have had one of their best years since his arrival in 2000. It began with the national rankings, with the team holding a top-10 ranking for seven weeks — the most consecutive weeks spent in the top-10 in school history. Tech scored 106.5 points at the meet, their most since 2014. They would go on to qualify four individuals in five events, plus both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays for nationals — the latter being something that's only occurred once before under Kittley's watch.
Usoro's winning of the region's Women's Field Athlete of the Year makes a three-peat for the jumper. She was named the 2020 indoor winner, and was voted the indoor winner again this year. Usoro repeats as the region's top female field athlete thanks to an historic outdoor campaign thus far. After breaking both school records in long and triple during indoor, she was quick to do so again in her first outdoor season as a Red Raider. The Bowerman watch list member's top moment of the season was undoubtedly the monstrous triple mark of 47'-7" (14.50m) she landed at the Masked Rider Open in early April to make her the second-best performer in collegiate history in the event. She has also averaged well over 21'-5" in the long jump with a season-best 22'-2.25" (6.76m) mark from the Texas Relays in March. She won the Big 12 title in the triple and will enter the NCAA meet the top-ranked tripler in the nation. Usoro is one of just five to have remained on The Bowerman watch list from its debut in January through now.
Usoro will long and triple at this week's NCAA Outdoor Championships, her first outdoor title meet at the Division I level.
"I'm incredibly proud of what our women's team has done this year, and this award is a testament to that," said Kittley, who has been a Mountain Region coach of the year nine times outdoors, and five times for his women's teams. "Ruth has had an incredible year, and I'm excited for her to compete here at nationals this week."
Kittley's women have had one of their best years since his arrival in 2000. It began with the national rankings, with the team holding a top-10 ranking for seven weeks — the most consecutive weeks spent in the top-10 in school history. Tech scored 106.5 points at the meet, their most since 2014. They would go on to qualify four individuals in five events, plus both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays for nationals — the latter being something that's only occurred once before under Kittley's watch.
Usoro's winning of the region's Women's Field Athlete of the Year makes a three-peat for the jumper. She was named the 2020 indoor winner, and was voted the indoor winner again this year. Usoro repeats as the region's top female field athlete thanks to an historic outdoor campaign thus far. After breaking both school records in long and triple during indoor, she was quick to do so again in her first outdoor season as a Red Raider. The Bowerman watch list member's top moment of the season was undoubtedly the monstrous triple mark of 47'-7" (14.50m) she landed at the Masked Rider Open in early April to make her the second-best performer in collegiate history in the event. She has also averaged well over 21'-5" in the long jump with a season-best 22'-2.25" (6.76m) mark from the Texas Relays in March. She won the Big 12 title in the triple and will enter the NCAA meet the top-ranked tripler in the nation. Usoro is one of just five to have remained on The Bowerman watch list from its debut in January through now.
Usoro will long and triple at this week's NCAA Outdoor Championships, her first outdoor title meet at the Division I level.
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