HISTORY
USTFCCCA RELEASE
 
NEW ORLEANS, La. – For the third time in four years, the Washington University in St. Louis women's track and field and cross country program has been named the Deb Vercauteren Division III Women's Program of the Year, the USTFCCCA announced on Tuesday morning.
 
Since its inception in 2008-09, the Bears have won this award seven times including an impressive four-year run from 2015-19. The award was not given in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
WashU totaled 10 points to win the honor while Williams finished behind the Bears with 11.5 points and Johns Hopkins had 12 points. The USTFCCCA Program of the Year Award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution's finish at the NCAA Championships.
 
In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships. Scoring is based on the team's finish at each NCAA Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points … 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award winner. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.
 
The Bears are coming off another tremendous year, highlighted by the 2026 Indoor National Championship. Outdoor track and field finished as the national runner-up and cross country claimed seventh in the fall.
 
At the indoor national championships, first-year Kate Delia won the national title for the 800m while sophomore Lauren Raley, senior Kylie Spytek, sophomore Kalena Riemer and sophomore Lucinda Laughlin took home the national title for the distance medley relay. Additionally, Spytek, sophomore Quinn Bird, junior Caroline Echols and sophomore Hailey Weir won the title in the 4x400 relay.
 
In total, the Bears tallied 36 All-America honors with two in cross country, 17 in indoor track and field and 17 in outdoor track and field.
 
Additionally, several members of the WashU coaching staff received national and regional recognition. Head Coach Jeff Stiles was named the USTFCCCA Women's Division III Indoor National Coach of the Year. Associate Head Coach Ray Williams was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year for both indoor and outdoor.
 
The Deb Vercauteren Division III Women's Program of the Year Award is named after USTFCCCA Hall of Famer and former UW-Oshkosh women's head coach Deb Vercauteren. Her Titans won a combined 18 NCAA national titles and her student-athletes combined to earn over 345 All-American performances. Vercauteren won an impressive 36 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles (15 cross country, 11 indoors, and 10 outdoors).
 
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