Fresno State Athletics
Track And Field Celebrates Season With Awards Banquet
5/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
May 7, 2003
FRESNO, Calif.- The Fresno State track and field program held its annual awards banquet on Wednesday night at the Residence Dining Hall. The event honored current Bulldog student-athletes with team awards distributed by the coaching staff.
Approximately 350 people attended the banquet, which included appearances from former Fresno State coaches Tom Pagani and Red Estes, former athletics director Jack Wilcox and Bill Chaltraw of the Bulldog Foundation.
Several team awards were presented, beginning with the captain's award. Senior Phil Ogilvie (Clarksburg, Calif.) was the men's recipient, while junior Katie Christianson (Indian Wells, Calif.) took home the first of two awards as the women's representative.
Chreston Anderson (Long Beach, Calif.) and Dustin Lawrenson (Elk Grove, Calif.) were named Most Outstanding Freshmen, while La'Sha Hill (Oakland, Calif.) received the same honor on the women's side. Senior Alex Mason (Alameda, Calif.) was named the Outstanding Male Track Performer and junior Kara June (Santa Maria, Calif.) earned the Outstanding Female Track Performer title.
The Outstanding Field Performer awards were given to junior Joe Vasquez (Selma, Calif.) and senior Lisa Krauter (Clovis, Calif.). Mason was named the Linder Track Man of the Year, while Christianson added to her collection with the Herzog Track Woman of the Year.
Recipients of the coaches' award included seniors Ryan Burgess (Manteca, Calif.), Kyle Carano (Fresno, Calif.) and Kevin Carano (Fresno, Calif.) for the men, while the women were represented by senior Mandy Hollister (Turlock, Calif.), sophomore Crystal Phillips (Long Beach, Calif.) and sjunior Lexine Lesser (Hanford, Calif.).
Also highlighting the banquet was the induction of four individuals into the 2003 class of the Fresno State Track and Field Hall of Fame- David Cox, George Ilg, Todd Reich and Les Snyder, Jr.
Cox, a six-time All-American, was one of the most impressive pole vaulters in Bulldog history. He is one of only four athletes in school history to clear the 18-foot barrier and is a three-time WAC indoor champion and two-time WAC outdoor champion. The other Fresno State athlete in the mix, Todd Reich, owns the best javelin mark in school history at 266-9, achieved in 1994. Reich is a two-time Olympian, three-time All-American and a two-time champion in the javelin at the United States National Championships.
Ilg joined the Fresno State faculty in 1948 as an instructor and was influential in the development of the School of Agriculture. He is credited with founding the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) and also served as vice president of the NCAA. Accepting the award for Ilg, who passed away in 1990, was his son Fred.
Snyder was a former Fresno State assistant athletics director for business/finance and a member of the athletics staff for over 20 years. In addition to volunteering his time as a track and field official, Snyder served as a committe member and business manager of the Fresno Relays.
Players Mentioned
