NEW ORLEANS, La. (May 25, 2022) – Junior
Laura Mathews and assistant coach
John Kolibab of the Stevens Institute of Technology women's outdoor track team received Metro Region Track Athlete and Assistant Coach of the Year, respectively, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced late Tuesday.
The awards capped an impressive 2021-22 athletic year for both Mathews and Kolibab, who received the same honors from the USTFCCCA following the indoor season.
"We are thrilled to see Laura and John recognized for the second consecutive season as regional award winners!" head coach
Lance Harden said. "They have forged quite the partnership and work incredibly well together. Each of them brings a positive spirit and levity to practice daily and their enthusiasm is contagious and powers our team."
Mathews finished the outdoor season ranked second nationally in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.82, a mark that was the eighth-fastest in Division III history. The Denville, New Jersey native's career-best time in the 100 hurdles set a meet record and led Mathews to a victory at the recent AARTFC Outdoor Championships.
"Laura has really grown as an athlete this year, adding events like the 400-meter hurdles, taking on a greater workload, and contributing on our strong relays," Harden commented. "Her top-end speed has greatly improved, and when combined with her more consistent hurdling technique, Laura has become one of the best 100-meter hurdlers in DIII history."
After coaching athletes with 12 top-10 regional performances during the indoor season, Kolibab coached athletes who accounted for 123.5 of the Ducks' 129.5 points in finishing a program-best runner-up in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Outdoor Championships. Kolibab's charges would win five MAC titles, along with another two at the AARTF Outdoor Championships.
"John is one of the best technical coaches in the country," Harden shared. "He has expertise in sprints, hurdles, horizontal jumps, vertical jumps, multis, and over the past year has put in a sustained effort to master the throws. Our athletes love him and he is the emotional cornerstone of our team."
The USTFCCCA recognized a male and female track athlete of the year, along with a male and female field athlete of the year, from each of the 10 regions.
Mathews will look to earn the second All-America honor of her career later this week at the 2022 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Mathews will run in the third of three preliminary heats, which are scheduled to begin at 2:10 p.m. on Friday, May 27. The winner of each heat will advance to Saturday's national championship race, where they will be joined by the next six fastest preliminary times.
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