Pepin and Griva Honored by Big 12 Coaches

Lincoln - Wednesday afternoon the Big 12 Conference announced its 2011 indoor track and field postseason awards, which are voted on by the league's coaches. Nebraska Head Coach Gary Pepin was named the Women's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year and horizontal jumper Mara Griva was tabbed as the Women's Outstanding Freshman of the Year.

Pepin was honored after leading his women's team to an upset victory of four-time defending champion Texas A&M at last weekend's 2011 Big 12 Indoor Championships at the Devaney Center. Along with winning their conference-leading sixth indoor women's title, the Huskers won four individual titles in the pole vault, triple jump, long jump and pentathlon. Pepin has now been named Big 12 Coach of the Year 22 times and it marks the sixth time he has been selected for the women's indoor award.

As the men's and women's coach, Pepin has guided the Huskers to 67 conference titles, including 44 Big Eight championships and a Big 12-best 23 team trophies. Pepin's 23 team championships are unmatched in the conference, as Beverly Kearney of Texas sits in a distance second with 11 women's titles. The Huskers' 23 Big 12 Conference titles are also the most of any program in the conference, topping Texas' 20.

Griva became the first jumper to sweep the long and triple jump titles at the conference meet since fellow Latvian and Husker Ineta Radevica achieved the feat in 2004. A native of Ventspils, Latvia, Griva entered the meet ranked third in the conference in both events, but a pair of personal-best jumps were too much for the competition. She first cleared 20-10 on Friday night to win the long jump and then posted a 43-3 ¼ mark in the triple jump on Saturday. Nationally, both marks are tops by a freshman this season, while she ranks ninth overall in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump.

Griva is the fourth Husker woman to earn outstanding freshman honors indoors, as she joins Jenny Green (2004), Becky Breisch (2002) and Dalhia Ingram (1997).