Postema Named Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has announced that Defiance College junior thrower Tom Postema was named Great Lakes Region Field Athlete of the Year. [Release]

Postema collects the award after winning Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Field Athlete-of-the-Year honors for the outdoor season. Postema set the HCAC Outdoor Championship record in the discus with a throw of 180-04.40. The toss also broke the Defiance College record and is the third-best mark in the nation this year. The product of Tinora High was the HCAC champion in the discus, hammer throw and placed second in the shot put.

Currently, Postema ranks third in the nation in the discus, sixth in the hammer throw and 20th in the shot put. His sixth-place distance in the hammer throw was 194-10.00. He was named HCAC Field Athlete of the Week twice during the outdoor season and was the outdoor All-Ohio champion in the hammer throw. Postema was also named First Team All-HCAC.

This is the first time since 2008 that a Defiance College athlete has been named USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year. Trevor Matuszak was the last athlete to claim the award. The Great Lakes Region consists of schools from Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The award is based on a vote by all of the coaches in the region.

Postema is set to compete at the NCAA Division III National Championships held in Claremont, California. The event will take place from May 24 to May 26.