Perry Named MWC Outdoor Male Athlete of the Year

PROVO -- BYU’s senior, five-time All-American and national steeplechase champion, Kyle Perry, was named the Mountain West Conference Men's Outdoor Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year Thursday.

“He is very well-deserving,” said BYU men’s track and field head coach Mark Robison. “There was some very tough competition. This is a new honor the Conference has awarded, and so far BYU’s won the outdoor award last two years. It’s a great honor for Kyle and for our program.”

Perry topped-off his collegiate season earning a national championship title at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He is the second Cougar in MWC history to do so.

Additional honors for Perry this season include winning both the 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter steeplechase races at the MWC Championships, along with helping the 4x400-meter relay team to a fourth-place finish. These performances earned him the 2009 MWC Men’s Outdoor High Point Award totaling 21.5 points.

His season-best steeplechase time of 8:40.20 was recorded at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, ranking him third in the nation for the season and third in the-All-time MWC record book. Perry also set a new Cougar record in the 5,000-meter run with a MWC season-best and third-place league all-time performance of 13:35.64 at the Mt. SAC Relays in April.

“I feel like I’ve worked as hard as anybody in the Conference,” said Perry. “This award could have been given to a lot of people. My teammate Bob Low placed third at nationals and was the conference champion, and Lee Emanuel of New Mexico also placed third at nationals and was the conference champion in the 1,500-meter as well. There are probably a few of us that earned athlete of the year status, but it’s an honor to receive it.”

San Diego State's senior Karoline Koehler was selected as female athlete of the year.

The MWC Student-Athlete of the Year award recognizes the outstanding male and female athletes in the sport of outdoor track & field. Student-athletes are nominated and selected by the head coaches at each member institution.