NEW ORLEANS - Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2023 NAIA Indoor Track & Field season were announced on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Eastern Oregon University was well represented winning four awards.
 
Head Coach Ben Welch was responsible for half of the awards and was named the West Region's Coach of the Year for both the women and men. Assistant Coach Connor Bracken also earned the nod as the West Region's Women's Assistant Coach of the Year. Maggie Ledbetter was the only athlete to earn an award being named the Women's Field Athlete of the Year in the West Region.
 
"It is nice to be recognized by one's peers and even nicer to see all of Connor and Maggie's hard work recognized," Welch said.
 
Each of the five regions – Great Lakes, Midwest, South, South Central and West – honored both genders' top track athletes and field athletes as well as the top men's and women's head coaches and assistant coaches.
 
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.
 
Many of these honored athletes and coaches are headed to the 2023 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships next week in Brookings, South Dakota.
 
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S WEST REGION COACH OF THE YEAR – Ben Welch
On the men's side, Welch, in his 21st year at Eastern Oregon, had the Mountaineers as the top-ranked team in the West Region for the duration of the season. The Mountaineers have national qualifiers in eight different events.
 
As for the women, Welch also had the team ranked No. 1 in the West Region throughout the season and now has them at No. 19 nationally in the National TFRI. The Mountaineers have national qualifying marks in 11 events, with three of those events featuring two EOU athletes.
 
WOMEN'S WEST REGION ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR – Connor Bracken
Bracken, in his fifth year as assistant coach at Eastern Oregon, coached the  Mountaineers to national rankings in the pentathlon (two athletes), high jump, 60 hurdles and 4×400 relay. In all, 22 of his athletes he coaches achieved top-25 school all-time marks. In addition to coaching the sprints, hurdles, jumps and combined events, he handles strength and conditioning for those events plus strength work for the distance runners.
 
"Connor puts in a lot of hours working with a wide range of events," Welch commented.
 
WOMEN'S WEST REGION FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Maggie Ledbetter
Ledbetter, who hails from Cove, Oregon, is ranked eighth nationally in the shot put at 14.06m (46-1½). She is also strong in the weight throw, having won her past three meets with a PR of 16.76m (55-0) in her final competition before the NAIA Indoor Championships.
 
"Maggie committed to coming back for her fifth and final year while completing a master's in Education so it is nice to see her rewarded for all her hard work and commitment," Welch said.