CLAREMONT, Calif. - Elle Marsyla of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's track and field team, who won the national championship in the 10000 meters, earned the USTFCCCA West Region Track Athlete of the Year Award, the organization announced this week. 

Head Coach Glenn Stewart also captured the West Region Coach of the Year for both men's and women's track and field, after guiding his teams to SCIAC titles and top-10 rankings prior to the start of the NCAA Championships. 

Marsyla earned the national championship in the 10000 meters on May 21 on the opening day of nationals in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She won the title with an epic final kick, coming back from 50 meters down on the final lap to win by six-tenths of a second in 33:38.71 for a new personal best, a new CMS record, and the No. 6 time in NCAA Division III history.  

Even with the fast pace, she appeared destined for a runner-up finish, but she had a 70-second final lap (1:10.84) to overtake Ainara Sainz De Rozas of Concordia (Wis.) with just 20 meters to go. It was her first lead of the race after running a stride behind De Rozas for most of the 10000 meters, and then falling back with two laps to go before her finishing kick. 

In addition to her 10000-meter title, Marsyla came back two days later to finish second in the 5000 meters, providing 18 points to help CMS finish in sixth place as a team. She also cracked the all-time top 15 in the 5000 meters with her 16:13.26 PR at the APU Franson Last Chance in early May.