The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Sategna named Big 12 Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year
05.18.2017 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Coach led Longhorns to first 3-peat in conference history.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Track & Field Head Coach Mario Sategna guided him men's team to its third straight Big 12 title outdoors this weekend and on Thursday he was honored by the league as the Big 12 Conference Men's Outdoor Head Coach of the Year. It marked the first time in Big 12 history a men's team has won three consecutive outdoor titles.
Sategna and his staff oversaw an impressive showing from the Longhorns last week in Kansas as the men won the title with a total of 153.5 points. The men's squad secured the title before the final event as the Longhorns led Kansas by 14.5 points leading into the 4x400 meter relay.
The award is Sategna's second men's honor outdoors in his four years leading the combined program at Texas and eighth overall with two each for men's and women's indoor and women's outdoor.
Sategna personally coached decathlete Steele Wasik to a win in the decathlon with an NCAA qualifying score of 7,715 points. Wasik also competed in the javelin and 110 meter hurdles to score valuable points in those two open events finishing seventh and fifth, respectively.
In addition to Wasik's win in the decathlon, the Texas men came away with victories in the 110 meter hurdles, 400 meter hurdles and 4x100 meter relay to help secure the title.
Spencer Dunkerley-Offor's win in the 110 hurdles was the first for a Longhorn since 2004. Byron Robinson's win in the 400 hurdles marked back-to-back victories for the Olympian.
The overall team win continues a stretch of dominance for the Longhorns in the Big 12.
Since the teams were combined into one program for the 2014 season with Sategna at the helm, the Longhorns have won 63-percent of the men's Big 12 titles indoor and out. Combined with the women's six titles in four years, Texas has won 69-percent of all Big 12 track and field crowns.
Sategna and the Longhorns begin their quest to advance as many athletes to the NCAA Championships this June when they host the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds next week at Mike A. Myers Stadium. The top 48 athletes in each event in the West region will fight for 12 spots to advance to the championship site.
Players Mentioned
