ST. LOUIS – Indiana State Cross Country and Track and Field Program Director and Head Coach Angela Martin was selected as the 2024 MVC Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, as announced Friday by the conference office.
 
Martin was selected by the league's head coaches as the Coach of the Year on both the men's and women's side after the Sycamores swept the 2024 MVC Outdoor Championships at the Gibson Track and Field Complex, completing an indoor-outdoor title sweep for both the men's and women's teams. It was the first time in program history that Indiana State won all four MVC Track and Field Championships in the same year.
 
The Sycamores finished with a program record 221.5 points on the men's side, marking the first time in program history that Indiana State surpassed the 200-point mark at a conference championship. Indiana State also finished with 158 points on the women's side, the program's most since 2018.
 
As a team, Indiana State finished with 12 conference champions and 38 all-conference honors at the 2024 MVC Outdoor Championships. Included in those conference champions were a trio of Sycamores from Martin's hurdles and combined events groups, with Rachel Mehringer (100m hurdles), Collin Forrest (110m hurdles) and Jakes Ottersbach (decathlon) all winning gold at the MVC Outdoor Championships.
 
The Sycamores also qualified 17 athletes for the 2024 NCAA East First Round, marking the third consecutive year that the Trees had double-digit regional qualifiers. Indiana State's NCAA East First Round delegation was its largest since 2015.
 
As a team, Indiana State finished with 38 additions to the program top-10 charts, as 20 women's top-10 marks and 18 men's top-10 marks were set during the 2024 outdoor season. The Sycamores also had four program records broken this outdoor season, with Lillian Gibbs (javelin), Rachel Mehringer (100m hurdles), Will Staggs (pole vault) and the men's 4x100m relay team of Casey Hood Jr., Daunte Majors, Isiah Thomas and Tahj Johnson all climbing to the top of the program charts.
 
Indiana State also racked up multiple specialty awards this season. Elias Foor was named the MVC Most Valuable Athlete at the MVC Outdoor Championships after scoring in all four throws events, including three podium finishes, to rack up 26 points. Jake Ottersbach was named MVC Freshman of the Year after becoming the first Sycamore since 2001 to win the decathlon. The Sycamores also had nine MVC Athletes of the Week during the outdoor season.
 
Friday's announcement marks Martin's fifth MVC Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year honors (three men's, two women's).
 
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