NEW ORLEANS – Shippensburg University's Steve Spence was named the 2011 USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year on Friday morning and will advance to the ballot for the National Assistant Coach of the Year that will be announced later this month.

Spence is the primary assistant coach for SU men's track & field and instructs the mid-distance and distance competitors. SU won its third straight PSAC championship last week – with 68 points coming from the five events for which Spence is the primary instructor (800 1,500, 5K, 10K and steeplechase).

Currently in his 16th season, Spence's athletes achieved nine NCAA qualifying performances with three entries making the field next week. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Shippensburg athletes finished second in the 5K and won the DMR. After a ninth-place national finish indoors, the Raiders are currently ranked 20th nationally and finished first in the region.