SELINSGROVE, Pa.– Susquehanna University head men's track and field coach Marty Owens has been named the Division III Mideast Regional Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track Coaches Association after leading the Crusaders to the Middle Atlantic Conference championship in his first year as head coach.

Owens, who has also served as head coach of the Crusader women's track and field squad for the past three seasons, took over the men's program following the retirement of legendary head coach Jim Taylor after 26 seasons and 11 MAC championships and earned conference Coach of the Year honors after helped Susquehanna recapture the crown by one point over host Widener and four points over defending champion Elizabethtown.

Three of Owens' athletes – freshman Mike Marr in the high jump, junior Scott Haldeman in the triple jump, and senior Matt Hill in the hammer throw – won MAC championships and were included on the provisional qualifying list for the NCAA Division III championships.

In addition to his success with the men's track and field team, Owens led the Crusader women to a second-place finish at the MAC championships and coached sophomore Emily Lepley to a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III championships.