National Track and Field/Cross Country award named after former Doane coach

The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) has announced their 2022 NAIA Programs of the Year, combining three team finishes at the national championships to determine the winner. For the first time in 2022, the men's and women's awards have been named in honor of a past coaching legend.

The women's honor has been named after Fred Beile, Doane cross country and track & field coach from 1961 until 2002. Beile guided the Tiger women to a pair of team titles at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships (2001, 2002), more than 250 All-America honors, and 27 conference championships. Beile was head coach of the Tiger team that won the inaugural Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC) women's indoor title in 1979 and won his last conference crown, the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) women's outdoor title, in the final conference meet he coached in 2002.

This year's winner of the NAIA Fred Beile Women's Program of the Year is Saint Francis (lll.) with 21 points. They edged out Indiana Tech by two points. Longtime Doane rival Hastings College was the top GPAC team with a fourth place finish. To earn points for the team standings, a program must qualify their teams at the NAIA cross country meet as well as both the indoor and outdoor track & field championships.

The men's honor is named after former Malone (Ohio) head coach Jack Hazen. Saint Mary (Kan.) was the men's team winner of the award.