NEW ORLEANS – Colorado School of Mines Cross Country Head Coach Chris Siemers was named the South Central Region Men's Coach of the Year on Thursday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA).
 
Siemers won his sixth straight USTFCCCA South Central Region Men's Coach of the Year award after guiding the Oredigger men to a sixth straight regional crown. The award was voted on by his fellow coaches. The men of Mines claimed their regional title on Saturday, Nov. 9, at snowy Washington Park in Denver, Colo. Three Oredigger runners in the top-10, five in the top-13, and all seven in the top-45 provided Mines a team score of 40. That mark was good enough for a 19-point win over runner-up Adams State. Overall, Siemers had six USTFCCCA All-Region runners on his 2024 squad including Jeremiah Vaille, Paul Knight, Logan Bocovich, Ethan Grolnic, Dawson Gunn, and Braden Struhs. Siemers also guided the Oredigger women to team silver at the region championships. Both the men and women qualified for the 2024 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships with their respective performances.
 
The Oredigger men and women are set to compete at the 2024 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 23, in Sacramento, Calif. The men's race will begin at 10 a.m. (PT) with the women's race to follow at 11:15 a.m. (PT). A full preview and live coverage information will be published at www.minesathletics.com next week.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines cross country on "X" (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @csmtrack. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.