Sean Strauman, Ceasar Westbrook Capture PSAC Postseason Track and Field Awards

IUP junior Sean Strauman has been named the PSAC Athlete of the Year while freshman Ceasar Westbrook was selected the Rookie of the Year in balloting by the conference’s indoor track and field head coaches.

Strauman (South Park/South Park) won the 800 meters at the PSAC indoor meet and then placed second at the Division II meet, the top finish for any conference athlete at nationals.  He broke the PSAC meet record with a time of 1:52.82 and then shattered his own conference mark by posting a time of 1:50.62 at nationals.

He finished less than a second away from claiming the national championship in the 800 while earning All-America accolades for the third time in his career.  He was eighth at the 2006 indoor meet and seventh at the outdoor championships last spring.

Strauman has won the 800 at all five of the PSAC meets in which he has competed, including three indoor titles and two outdoor victories.

Westbrook (Lancaster/J.P. McCaskey) scored in two events at the PSAC meet and earned a spot at nationals in the triple jump.  At the conference championships, he was second in the triple jump with a season best effort of 48 feet, 6 ¼ inches and was fourth in the long jump with a leap of 22-11.

At nationals Westbrook, who is also a linebacker on the IUP football team, just missed the cutoff for All-America honors by finishing ninth in the triple jump with a mark of 47-2 ½.