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    Phil Olson named SLC Men's and Women's Coach of the Year
    Julian Acuna Named SLC Athlete of the Year
    SFA Head Track and Field Coach Phil Olson
    SFA Head Track and Field Coach Phil Olson

    Feb. 22, 2005

    PLANO, Texas - Junior Julian Acuna was named 2005 SLC Male Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Track Performer, while SFA head track and field coach Phil Olson was named SLC Men and Women's Indoor Coach of the Year announced league officials Tuesday morning.

    Acuna led the Lumberjacks winning two events and scoring a meet-high 20 points. Acuna won the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:31.50 and followed that up with a school-record time of 14:47.39 to win the 5,000 meters. Acuna is a three-time SLC individual champion and a seven-time All-SLC honoree in his career.

    Olson was named 2005 SLC Men and Women's Indoor Coach of the Year after guiding his troops their first-ever indoor sweep of the titles. It was the first-ever conference title for the Lumberjacks, and the first indoor, and second overall conference title for the SFA women. It is the third time in Olson's five years in Nacogdoches that he has earned conference coach of the year honors. During his time at SFA, Olson and his coaching staff has brought nine conference titles to Nacogdoches (four men's cross country, two women's cross country, two women's track and field and a men's track and field title).

    Olson has placed the Lumberjacks in a unique position of competing for track and field's collegiate triple crown. The `Jacks have won the conference cross country and indoor titles this season, and in May SFA will be competing in the SLC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. If the Lumberjacks can win the outdoor track and field title, it would be the conference's first triple crown winner since Lamar accomplished feat during the 1984-85 academic year.

    -SFA-