Senior Colin Dunbar of the Long Beach State track and field team was named Big West Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Year, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Meanwhile, LBSU head coach Andy Sythe captured the Big West Men’s Coach of the Year.
Dunbar, who is the first LBSU Field Athlete of the Year since Chris Richardson won the award in 2008, recently led the 49ers to the Big West title.
He personally accounted for 28 points after claiming a first-place finish in the hammer and discus events. He also finished third in the shot put and seventh in the javelin throw.
Dunbar is also just the second athlete in conference history to score in all four throwing events. The only other individual to accomplish the feat is LBSU’s throws coach Cory Loebl, who scored 30 points in 2003.
Dunbar, who was a four-time Big West Field Athlete of the Week, guided the ‘Niners to a first-place finish in the Cal-Nevada Championships in March as placed second in the hammer, shot put and discus events.
He also took home top honors in all but one hammer competition in April and May, placing second at the Drake Relays with a then personal-record 219-01.
This season, Dunbar established lifetime bests of 223-06 in the hammer, 177-05 in the discus, and 55-02.75 in the shot put. He also notched a season-best 181-05 in the javelin. Dunbar’s mark in the hammer ranks second in school history.
Meanwhile, Sythe’s honor marked the third time he has claimed the Coach of the Year award and first since 2008. He also led The Beach to the program’s sixth Big West men’s title and third since taking the reigns as head coach in 1989.
The ‘Niners claimed five individual titles at the Big West meet and the decathlon en route to the most points by a winning club at the Big West Championships since the LBSU’s 2008 championship team.
Sythe also led The Beach to its first Cal-Nevada Championship title in March and was named the Cal-Nevada Championships Men’s Coach of the Year following the meet.
Under Sythe’s guidance this year, 10 athletes have made their way into the school’s men’s outdoor all-time top 10 list. Most notably, Tyler Wallace, who was just the fourth individual in program history to clear 18 feet in the pole vault as he registered a lifetime-best 18-00.50 at the Big West Championships.
LBSU returns to action next weekend when it heads to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds, May 26-28.
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