Card Sweeps Regional Honors

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford earned four honors among the Regional Awards for cross country from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

J.J. Clark, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, was named the recipient of the Dean Miller Award as the men's Coach of the Year and the Tom Heinonen Award as the women's Coach of the Year. 

Under Clark, who primarily coached the women's team, and Ricardo Santos, who primarily coached the men, Stanford swept both divisions at the NCAA West Regional and was the only program at the NCAA Championships with both teams among the top six. 

Clark is a repeat winner of the women's award, having won it in the 2020-21 COVID-delayed season. 

Charles Hicks is another repeat winner, earning the Men's Athlete of the Year award for the second consecutive season, and within the same calendar year. Hicks, a junior academically and a freshman in eligibility, won the Pac-12 title, was second at the NCAA West Regional, and fourth at the NCAA Championships as the highest finisher from the conference and the region.

Julia Heymach earned the Women's Athlete of the Year award. Heymach, a fifth-year senior, opened the season at the Pac-12 Championships, placing 25th. In her next race, Heymach won the NCAA West Regional, earning the first cross-country victory of her collegiate career. She finished with 13th place at the NCAA Championships as the second finisher from the conference and was first from the region. 

Since the awards first were given in 1994, nine Stanford men have won. Hicks is Stanford's first repeat men's winner. 

Heymach is the fifth different Stanford women's winner and gives the Cardinal a winner for the third consecutive season, following Ella Donaghu in 2019 and 2020-21.