Queens Sweep Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year Honors

March 18, 2022

NEW ORLEANS –Queens' Fatima Alanis and Lucy Walliker were named Regional Athletes of the Year for the 2022 NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field season announced on Friday (Mar. 18), while Jacob Krolick and Dragan Pesic were named Coaches of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Fatima Alanis – Queens (N.C.)

Alanis, who hails from Coahuila, Mexico, scored 12 points at the NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships with a runner-up finish in the 5000 meters and a fifth-place effort in the 3000. She turned in seasonal-best marks in both of those events in Pittsburg, Kansas, going 16:06.90 in the 5000 and 9:25.45 in the 3000. Alanis was named the SAC Track Athlete of the Year after winning the mile, 3000 and 5000 at the SAC Indoor Championships.

Lucy Walliker – Queens (N.C.)

Walliker, who hails from Ugborough, England, placed third in the high jump at the NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships with a clearance of 1.79m (5-10½). Earlier in the season, Walliker scored 28 points at the SAC Indoor Championships thanks to a victory in the high jump and runner-up finishes in both the pentathlon and triple jump.

Coaches of the Year

Jacob Krolick – Queens (N.C.)- Krolick, in his first year at Queens (N.C.), led the Royals to a 10th place finish at the NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships with four First-Team All-America honors. The Royals had six individual athletes and a relay qualify for the national championships. Krolick was also named the SAC Coach of the Year after guiding Queens (N.C.) to the team title at the SAC Championships and coaching nine event champions.

Dragan Pesic – Queens (N.C.)- Pesic, in his first year as associate head track & field coach at Queens (N.C.), coached a pair of top-3 finishers at the NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships: Lucy Walliker in the high jump and Melanie Welsing in the 60-meter hurdles. Walliker and Welsing stood out at the SAC Indoor Championships, scoring 72 of the Royals' title-winning total of 160 points, which included a 1-2 finish in the pentathlon.