NEW ORLEANS, La. – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has named All-Region honorees for Indoor Track & Field in Division II. The top five from each region in individual events and each member of a relay ranked in the region's top three have earned the All-Region distinction for the 2013 indoor season.
A total of 1,061 athletes received 1,574 USTFCCCA All-Region nods. The USTFCCCA regions match those used for NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Saginaw Valley State University men's and women's indoor track & field teams were represented by seven individuals on the recognition list.
The men were represented by David Ray (Lansing, Mich. / Eastern) in the 60 meter hurdles, Frank Sanders (Detroit, Mich. / Sterling Heights) in the high jump and Tyler Grob (Pinckney, Mich.) in the pole vault and heptathlon competitions.
Ray set a school record in the hurdles with a time of 8.08 earlier this season, while Sanders currently sits 12th on the national list after jumping 6 feet 10 1/4 inches earlier this season. Grob finished first in the heptathalon with 5,096 points and third in the pole vault with a vault of 16 feet 3 1/2 at last week's GLIAC Championships as he was selected 'Field Athlete of the Meet.'
On the women's side, honorees include Lauren Hill (Flat Rock, Mich.) in the 5,000 meter and distance medley relay (DMR), Shavonne Roberson (Ypsilanti, Mich. / Ypsilanti HS) in the DMR , Emily Short (Tawas, Mich. / Tawas Area HS) in the 3,000 meter and DMR and Taylor Stepanski (Alpena, Mich.) in the 800 and DMR.
The DMR team is currently 13th on the national list with a time of 11:51.96. Hill currently has the 14th best time in the 5K this season clocking in at 17:01.62. Short has the ninth best time at 3,000 meters with a time of 9:42.12 and Stepanski is sixth fastest at 800 meters in 2:11.05.
Members of the Saginaw Valley indoor track and field team are awaiting word on which members will be selected to travel to Birmingham, Ala. to compete in the 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships.