After a dominating performance by the UC Davis women’s track and field team at the conference championships — which it hosted at Woody Wilson Track last weekend — three Aggies were honored when the Big West released its 2014 awards on Wednesday.
UCD junior sprinter Ashley Marshall was named Track Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season, while Drew Wartenburg picked up his third straight Coach of the Year honor. Aggie pole vaulter Holly Tokar, who like Marshall won a league title last weekend, was named the Big West Women’s Freshman of the Year.
Marshall, from Moreno Valley, successfully defended her conference championships in the 100- (11.36) and 200-meter (23.85) dashes, narrowly missing her own meet record of 11.34 in the 100 and capturing the closely contested 200 by just .01.
She also was part of UCD’s 4×100 relay squad that set a school record (45.02) earlier this year against rival Sacramento State.
Marshall will race in all three events at next week’s NCAA Prelim Meet at the University of Arkansas. She is looking to advance to the NCAA finals in at least the 100 for the second consecutive year.
Tokar, from Ventura, perhaps lifted by the friendly home crowd, cleared 3.97 meters — or 13 feet, 0.24 inches — to beat her previous best by 3.5 inches in winning the Big West title last weekend. She is just the third Aggie vaulter to clear 13 feet in her career.
Wartenburg earned his third coach of the year honor, matching the number of seasons he’s been the program’s head coach. He’s led UCD to Big West titles in each of those campaigns.