June 2, 2008

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Sprinter/hurdler Heidi Dimmitt (Jr., Wenatchee) and middle distance runner Keith Lemay (Sr., Lynden/Lynden Christain) were both voted two awards at the annual Western Washington University Track and Field Awards picnic last week.

The award winners were determined by a team vote.

Dimmitt and Lemay were the Most Valuable Track award winners for women and men, respectively. Dimmitt also was the women's Most Inspirational honoree and Lemay shared the men's inspirational honor with hurdler Kevin Myhre (Jr., Edmonds/Meadowdale).

Dimmitt finished fourth in the women's 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships and Lemay was sixth in the men's 800. Both received United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American recognition.

Dimmitt, who was making her second national appearance, had a personal-best time of 1:00.52, the second fastest in school history.

Lemay had a 1:51.62 clocking in the final. He got there by running a personal-best 1:51.33, the third-fastest time in school history, to place second in his preliminary heat.

Ryan Brown (Fr., Bellingham/Squalicum) and Monika Gruszecki (So., Lynnwood/Meadowdale) were voted the men's and women's Most Valuable Field awards, respectively.

Gruszecki, the defending national champion, placed second nationally in the women's javelin with a personal-best mark of 152-3. Brown set a school record by clearing 16-0.

Rookie of the Year honors went to women's distance runner Sarah Porter (Fr., Hockinson) and men's distance runner Jordan Welling (Fr., Burlington/Burlington-Edison).

Porter placed ninth at nationals in the 10,000 with a school-record clocking of 36:11.17, and Welling had national provisional qualifying times of 14:34.09 in the 5,000 and 30:35.82 in the 10,000. Those times rank second and fourth, respectively, among the school's career leaders.

The Most Improved awards went to decathlete Kevin Iverson (Jr., Mill Creek/Jackson) and women's thrower Lauren Kaligis (So., Mukilteo/Kamiak).