May 16, 2012
Official Big West release
IRVINE, Calif. - Sarah Sumpter, who won the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs in record-setting fashion at last week's Big West Championships was named conference's Women's Track Athlete of the Year on Wednesday while Drew Wartenburg shared Women's Coach of the Year honors.
The league announced several postseason honors with five different school's represented, including two for the Aggie women who captured their first-ever Big West championship.
Sumpter, a junior from Cloverdale, set two meet records while capturing the demanding 10,000 on Friday night in 34 minutes, 34.03 and then adding another on Saturday by winning the 5,000 in 16:35.07. Her 10K time also broke the all-time Big West record.
"The 5000/10,000-meter double is a grueling event assignment, but Sarah would not have had it any other way," Wartenburg said. "She not only won but threw tactics out the window in the process and left no doubts.
"Her efforts provided a spark for fellow distance runners and the team in general on a weekend that saw numerous women rise to the occasion." he added.
Sumpter was named the Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Week three times during the spring while setting a school record in the 10,000 at the Stanford Invitational in 33:19.77. She has a season-best time of 16:36.74 in the 5,000, placing her No. 3 on the program's all-time list.
The Big West also honored Sumpter in 2009 when she won the league's individual cross country title and was subsequently named the Cross Country Women's Athlete of the Year.
Wartenburg earned his share of the Coach of the Year honor while in only his first year at the helm of the UC Davis program. He has been a member of the Aggie cross country and track staffs as they've risen the Big West echelon, culminating this season with its first women's track title.
The Aggies won this year's title by a half-point over UC Santa Barbara (170-169.5) in a competition that came down to the last event, the 4x400 relay. UC Davis won seven individual titles en route to the team championship and had scorers throughout both the track and the field events on Saturday afternoon.
Wartenburg shared the coaching honor with UCSB's Pete Dolan.
