Vavra earns her ninth MIAA Coach of the Year award and has won five in cross country (four in a row) and two each in indoor and outdoor track and field, after leading the Lions to their fourth-straight title this past weekend. Southern took home the trophy in dominating fashion and behind individual champion Kimi Shank, the Lions finished 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th place for a MIAA record team total of 18 points, one place off of a perfect score. Shank also set an MIAA record for the fastest time in an MIAA Championship and it is the first time since 1991 that a women's team has won four-straight titles.

The Lions placed six runners on the All-MIAA squad as Ashley Siler, Ashley Bunch, Courtney Waltbillig, Marlee Tegenkamp and Silvia Pineda joined Shank with that honor. Tegenkamp was named the league's Freshman of the Year.

This is Rutledge's seventh MIAA Coach of the Year award -- fifth in cross country. He's also won one each in men's indoor and outdoor track and field. Rutledge's runners won their eighth MIAA cross country title in ten years as the Lions have been the most dominant program in the MIAA this decade.

Southern defeated second place Pittsburg State by by six points (47-53) to take home the title at Emporia State last weekend. The Lions had three runners in the top ten and four in the top 15. Three runners (Brennan Benkert, Jarkko Jarvenpaa and Josh Mathis) were named All-MIAA, while Aki Nummela and Nick Niggeman were honorable mention All-MIAA.

Both squads will be in action next weekend as they travel to Abilene Christian to compete in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional meet. The women are ranked third nationally in Division II and will be the top ranked team in the region. The Southern men are ranked 12th nationally and are also the top ranked team in the region.