NEW ORLEANS, La. – Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference members swept the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-South Central Region Athlete and Coach of the Year awards.
 
USTFCCCA South Central Men’s Athlete of the Year
Weldon Chebon, New Mexico Highlands (Sophomore, Timbora, Kenya) 
New Mexico Highlands University’s Weldon Chebon won the South Central Region Men’s Athlete of the Year. The sophomore from Timbora, Kenya, is coming off his individual title at the South Central Regional Championship where he cruised to a finish ten seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Chebon individually qualified for the 2025 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship and currently holds the seventh best 10k time in Division II (29:44.9) heading into the race. 
 
USTFCCCA South Central Women’s Athlete of the Year
Tristian Spence, Adams State (Redshirt Junior, Grand Junction, Colorado)
Adams State University’s Tristian Spence earned the South Central Region Women’s Athlete of the Year after an impressive year, highlighted by her individual title at the South Central Regional Championship, where she rolled to the finish, winning the race eight seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Spence and the Grizzlies qualified for the 2025 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship and currently holds the second best 6k time in Division II of 20:06.2 heading into the race. 
 
USTFCCCA South Central Men’s Coach of the Year
Damon Martin, Adams State
In his 31^st year at the helm of Adams State’s cross country team, head coach Damon Martin was named the USTFCCCA South Central Men’s Coach of the Year. He led the Grizzlies to team titles at the South Central Regional Championship and RMAC championship. Martin and the Grizzlies will now travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin for the 2025 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship in hopes of leading his men’s team to their first National Championship win since 2017. 
 
USTFCCCA South Central Women’s Coach of the Year
Corey Kubatzky, UCCS
In his 11^th year at UCCS, head coach Corey Kubatzky was named the USTFCCCA Women’s Coach of the Year after leading the Mountain Lions to second-place finishes at the 2025 RMAC Championship and South Central Regional Championship. Kubatzsky has led the Mountain Lions to earn the No. 4 ranking in Division II and clinch a berth to the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championship. This is the ninth straight year the Mountain Lions have qualified, and now Kubatzky and his squad hope to capture their first national title. 
 
Adams State, UCCS, along with ten other RMAC squads and individual qualifier Chebon, will compete at the 2025 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship. The races will be held Saturday, November 22 at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course, with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside serving as the host. The women’s race will begin at 9 a.m. (MT), followed by the men’s race at 10:15 a.m. (MT). Awards are to follow the men’s race. A live web stream of the championships is available on www.NCAA.com from 9 a.m. (MT) until the conclusion of the awards ceremony.
 
A vote of USTFCCCA member coaches determined USTFCCA regional award winners. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.

About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 67 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.