Conference Carolinas announces the individual award winners following this past weekend’s Conference Carolinas Indoor Men’s & Women’s Track & Field Championships. Awards include Track Most Valuable Performer, Field Most Valuable Performer, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year for both the men and women. Head coaches from conference member institutions nominate and then vote post-championship on the award winners who represent the best of the best for the league.

Women’s Freshman of the Year

Chelsea van Dijk, Mount Olive

Chelsea Van Dijk earned three first-place finishes to help University of Mount Olive claim its first-ever Conference Carolinas Women’s Indoor Track and Field championship. A freshman from Maastricht, Netherlands, Van Dijk won the 200 meters and the 400 meters. Van Dijk was the only runner to break one minute in the 400 meters. Van Dijk was also part of the Trojans' 4x400 meter relay team that finished first. In addition to her performance in the running events, van Dijk earned points for the Trojans in the high jump with a third-place finish. During the regular season, van Dijk recorded an NCAA II provisional qualifying time in the 400 meters. For her performance at the indoor conference championship, van Dijk earned USTFCCCA Division II Women's Track and Field National Athlete of the Week Honorable Mention.

Women’s Track Most Valuable Performer

Women’s Field Most Valuable Performer

Women’s Coach of the Year

Michael DeWitt, Belmont Abbey

Coach Mike De Witt is in his third season as Head Coach of the Belmont Abbey College Track and Cross Country Programs.  This year’s Women’s Team broke a total of 12 school records over the past 6 weekends, in this the third season of Indoor Track and Field at BAC.  The women completed the strong indoor season with a fifth place team finish in the Championship Meet, up two places from last winter.  The Distance Medley Relay Team set the Conference Meet Record in the event and got the day off to an exciting start for the team.  De Witt is a veteran of 35 years of college coaching including 29 at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside where he earned multiple Coach of Year Awards in Cross Country, (including NAIA National Coach of the Year for the Women’s Cross Country in 1986).  He is a year 2000 elected member to the NAIA Hall of Fame. This award is his first ever for Coaching Track and Field in his career. De Witt commented: “It is a great honor to be selected by my coaching peers and it is sincerely appreciated. We have an outstanding group of Men and Women at the Abbey and they are fun to coach. There is also a great group of Conference Carolinas Track Coaches who are working to make our Championships great experiences for everyone, this Championship Meet was one of the best I have been associated with in my career.”

Men’s Track Most Valuable Performer

Dylan Lafond, Mount Olive

Dylan Lafond earned a pair of first-place finishes to help University of Mount Olive claim its first-ever Conference Carolinas Men’s Indoor Track and Field championship. A sophomore from Manchester, N.H., Lafond finished first in the 3000 meters and in the mile run. He also finished second in the 5000 meters. Lafond, who competed in the mile run at last year’s NCAA Division II Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship, already posted an automatic qualifying time in the 3000 meters and a provisional qualifying time in the mile run during the regular season. He is also part of the Trojans’ distance medley team that posted a provisional qualifier. The indoor track and field award is the second conference athlete of the year award for Lafond in 2013-14. Lafond was named 2013 Conference Carolinas Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year after finishing first at the Conference Carolinas Men’s Cross Country Championship during the fall. In addition to his conference awards, Lafond was also named this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Men's Track and Field National Athlete of the Week after his performance at the indoor conference championship.

Men’s Field Most Valuable Performer

Khalil Henry, Limestone

Senior Khalil Henry hailing from Spring Valley, CA has been named Conference Carolinas Men’s Indoor Field Most Valuable Performer for his standout showing in the men’s high jump. Henry not only took first in the high jump event, but shattered his own school record and earned himself a spot in the field for the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships. His record-breaking jump was 2.14-meters (7-00.25) which beat his previous program-best of 2.10-meters. That jump also puts him within the top-five jumps in all of NCAA Division II.

Men’s Freshman of the Year

Terry Davis, North Greenville

Terry Davis quickly established himself as a viable competitor in men’s track and field, earning a 7^th place finish in the Triple Jump in his first ever collegiate meet at the Bob Pollack Invitational. At the Conference Carolinas Indoor Track Championship, Davis shined in three separate events. The Columbia, SC native took home first place in the Triple Jump with a distance of 46’ 4.75, while finishing as runner up in in the High Jump after clearing a height of 6’ 4.75”. Davis concluded his day with a third place finish in the Long Jump with a distance of 22’ .075”, just four inches off the winner.

Men’s Coach of the Year

Michael DeWitt, Belmont Abbey

Coach De Witt is in his third season as Head Coach of the Belmont Abbey College Track and Cross Country Programs.  This year’s Abbey team broke a total of 13 school records over the past 6 weekends, in this the third season of Indoor Track and Field at BAC.  The Men completed the strong indoor season with a fifth place team finish, up two places from last winter.  The 4 x 400m Relay Team capped off an exciting Conference Carolinas Indoor Championship Meet with a 3 team fight to the finish for the win in that event.   De Witt is a veteran of 35 years of college coaching including 29 at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside where he earned multiple Coach of Year Awards in Cross Country, including NAIA National Coach of the Year for the Women’s Cross Country in 1986, he was NCAA II Midwest Region Coach of the year in Women’s Cross Country on 5 separate occasions, as well as Great Lakes Valley Coach of the Year in Women’s Cross Country 8 times.  He is a year 2000 elected member to the NAIA Hall of Fame.  This award is his first ever for Coaching Track and Field in his career.  De Witt commented:  “It is a great honor to be selected by my coaching peers and it is sincerely appreciated. We have an outstanding group of Men and Women at the Abbey and they are fun to coach. There is also a great group of Conference Carolinas Track Coaches who are working to make our Championship Meets great experiences for everyone, this Championship Meet was one of the best I have been associated with in my career.”