May 20, 2008

New Orleans, La. - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced its 2008 regional award winners for men's and women's outdoor track and field. Grand Valley State University earned two awards: Nate Peck was named the Great Lakes Region Track Athlete of the Year and Jerry Baltes was named the Great Lakes Region Women's Coach of the Year. The track teams will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this weekend in Walnut, Calif.

Peck, a 14-time All-American at GVSU, qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 5000-meter event and ranks fourth nationally with a time of 14:00.91. At the GLIAC meet, he won the 1,500 and placed second in the 800. Peck also finished seventh this year at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.

This is the third straight women's regional coach of the year honor for Baltes, who has also been honored as the men's regional coach of the year once. Baltes led GVSU to its ninth straight GLIAC title earlier this month. He will accompany 14 of his female athletes and 10 from the men's team to the NCAA Championships this week, including a trio of female 1,500-meter runners.