JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern junior thrower Desirea Buerge has been named the Central Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, while Brian Allen has been named the Central Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced its regional awards today.
Buerge, a junior from Webb City, Missouri, is ranked second nationally in the shot put at 16.21m (53-2) and third nationally in the discus at 55.54m (182-3). She eclipsed the NCAA DII Automatic Qualifying Mark 10 times between the discus and shot put and was the MIAA champion in each event.
Buerge owns the MSSU school records for indoor and outdoor shot put, as well as the discus.
Allen, who is in his sixth year with the school as an assistant, has developed one of the most elite groups of women throwers at the NCAA DII level. He currently has the MSSU javelin squad in the No. 1 spot on the #EventSquad rankings with the No. 1 and 2 ranked athletes.
He also has the No. 2 NCAA seed in both the shot put and discus. His throwers accounted for 12-NCAA qualifiers this season, four of which are automatic. His women’s group scored 64 points at the MIAA conference meet and broke three school records this year.
The Lions will begin the 2019 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships next weekend in Kingsville, Texas.
