NEW ORLEANS – For the eighth time in his 19-year tenure, Augustana Cross Country head coach Tracy Hellman is named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA DII Central Region women's coach of the year. 

Hellman, who is also a 20-time conference coach of the year, recently led the Augustana Women's program to their first NCAA Central Region title since 2012. The Vikings beat out conference foe UMary for the title and finished with just 41 points, the second-lowest total in program history. Along the way, six student-athletes earned All-Region honors for the Vikings - one of just eight programs in the nation to have six or more honorees. 

Along with the women qualifying for nationals, the Augustana men's team will also be heading to Sacramento for the DII Championships. Under the leadership of Hellman, the men's program placed three runners in the top-15 overall and will be making their 11th-straight trip to the NCAA Championships. Four student-athletes on the men's side we're named All-Region. 

Over the last two years, Augustana has 21 All-Region athletes, most of all programs competing in the NCAA Central Region. 

The 2019 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships take place on November 23 in Sacramento, California.