NEW ORLEANS-- Wartburg women's track and field coaches, Marcus Newsom and Melissa Norton, received USTFCCCA honors, the national office announced today.

Newsom was named the women's outdoor coach of the year and Norton was named the women's assistant outdoor coach of the year. This marked the third honor for Newsom (2009, 2012, 2013) and first for Norton.

In his 20th season at the helm of the Wartburg program, Newsom led his Knights to a defense of their NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships team title from 2012, edging out indoor champion UW-Oshkosh on the final event of the meet to claim a 46-43 victory. The Knights did not claim any individual or relay titles between their 17 entries, but three student-athletes finished runners-up in their events and six others finished within the top six to score points.

Newsom led the Knights to an IIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships team crown, winning by 116 points with a score of 286. Wartburg claimed 11 event titles during the IIAC Championships, earning Newsom Coach of the Year honors.

Norton, in her 10th season coaching throws at Wartburg, guided her throwers to 17 of the Knights team championship-winning 46 points at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Three of her four throws entries in the NCAA Championships scored for the Knights as Kayla Hemann finished runner-up in the shot put and fifth in the discus, while Britlyn Sieck finished fourth in the discus.

Norton also guided the Wartburg throwers to a successful IIAC Championships performance, where 58 of the Knights’ 286 points came in the throws with titles in the shot put by Hemann and the discus by Sieck.

The duo previously were awarded USTFCCCA Central Region award winners for the outdoor season in their respective roles.