Adams State’s Miguel Coca and Head Coach Damon Martin Claim USTFCCCA National Honors
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Adams State head coach Damon Martin and men’s competitor Miguel Coca were named national award winners early this week by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Martin was voted the USTFCCCA Division II Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year, while Coca was crowned the USTFCCCA Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.
Martin picks up his latest coaching honor after leading the Grizzlies’ women’s team to yet another national title at the 2024 NCAA Division II NCAA Championships earlier this month. The Grizzlies’ latest women’s indoor track & field national title marks the seventh in program history and their sixth since joining NCAA Division II. Martin has now led the Adams State women’s track & field team to consecutive national championships, this time on the shoulders of Gracie Hyde, who captured a pair of individual titles in the one-mile and the 3,000-meter races at the 2024 event. Martin’s latest honor joins an illustrious list of honors for the legendary head coach, who has now led his teams to a combined 42 titles, 22 women’s cross country, 10 men’s cross country, six women’s indoor track & field, two men’s indoor track & field and one men’s outdoor track & field.
Coca claims the USTFCCCA Men’s Track Athlete of the Year honor after a dominant indoor season for the Grizzlies in which he shattered the NCAA DII record in the 3,000m event by over six seconds with a 7:44.90 finish at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Mass. (Feb. 9). He also clocked in with the second-fastest mile performance (all conditions) at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Meet (Feb. 24), crossing the finish line for a speedy 3:56.38. Coca completed the indoor season with silver medals in the mile and 3,000m races and ran the anchor leg for the Grizzlies in the title-winning distance medley relay at the 2024 NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships.