Utah Valley University’s Sila Kiplagat has been named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year, while head coach Scott Houle received the Men’s Coach of the Year award. The WAC announced its postseason honors on Friday.
Scott Houle has now earned his 43rd conference coach of the year honor and his 18th since Utah Valley joined the WAC in 2013. Under Houle’s leadership, Utah Valley secured its first men’s indoor title since 2015 last weekend in Spokane. The distance runners contributed significantly, scoring 102 out of the team’s total 197.5 points. This is Houle’s first indoor Men’s Coach of the Year award since leading the team to victory in 2015.
Kiplagat achieved his second WAC Freshman of the Year recognition after also receiving it during cross country season. Earlier this year at the Husky Classic, he became the first athlete in program history to run a non-converted sub-four-minute mile. At last weekend’s WAC championships, Kiplagat won gold in the mile and silver in the 3000-meter event.
Kiplagat follows Alex Hartshorn as the second consecutive Wolverine to win men’s Indoor Freshman of the Year; Hartshorn took home the honor last season. He is also only the second athlete from Utah Valley to win both cross country and indoor track Freshman of the Year awards, joining Hannah Branch who accomplished this during 2017-18. Kiplagat aims to join Branch as one of only two Wolverines to secure all three Freshman of the Year titles by competing in outdoor track later this spring.
Utah Valley is scheduled to begin its outdoor season at the Utah Tech Invitational in St. George on March 20-21.
