Sategna named Men's Track and Field national assistant coach of the year
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas assistant men's track and field coach Mario Sategna has been named the USTFCCCA (United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year for men's jumps and combined events in a vote conducted by NCAA Division I track and field coaches. Sategna's student-athletes put a successful ending on an extraordinary season over the weekend at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Junior Donovan Kilmartin (Eagle, Idaho) took fifth in the decathlon, while senior Brian Robison (Splendora, Texas) and junior Andra Manson (Brenham, Texas) took second in the shot put and the high jump, respectively. Junior Derek Randall added an eighth-place finish in the discus. "It's a great honor for Mario," said UT coach Bubba Thornton. "I'm extremely happy for Mario and really proud of his accomplishments. I can't wait to see what he does with his guys next year." Under Sategna's tutelage, senior Trey Hardee (Birmingham, Ala.) set a new collegiate decathlon record at the Texas Relays. Hardee totaled 8,465 points to top the seven-year-old record previously held by Tennessee's Tom Pappas. The score was the highest in the world up to that point in 2006 and now ranks as the second highest decathlon score in the world this year. Kilmartin posted the second-highest decathlon score in UT history when he totaled 7,897 points for second place at the Texas Relays. He earned his second consecutive All-America decathlon finish at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Manson continued to improve in his third year working with Sategna. The UT junior swept the Big 12 indoor and outdoor high jump titles and became a four-time All-American after tying for third at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships and taking second at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Robison continued to flourish under Sategna, who also was named the 2006 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year for men's throws. After working his way toward a Big 12 outdoor title a season ago in the shot put, Robison placed sixth in the shot put at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships before sweeping the shot put and discus at the 2006 Big 12 Outdoor Championships. He became a two-time All-American by taking second in the shot put at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Randall also thrived in his first season working with Sategna, becoming only the fourth Longhorn to throw 200 feet in the discus. Randall qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships by taking the discus with a toss of 200-7 at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Austin. He became Texas' first discus All-American since 1986, when Doug Lowell collected All-America honors.
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