CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its NCAA Division I Regional Awards for the 2015 outdoor track and field season on Monday and Illinois coaches Mike Turk and Adrian Wheatley were among the recipients. Turk was named Midwest Region Coach of the Year, while Wheatley was awarded Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

This season, Turk has guided the Illini to a historic season. The team finished the year with an undefeated record in invitational meets and won the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championship for the first time in 21 years, scoring 145 points and outscoring runner-up Nebraska by 37 points. Additionally, Turk's squad won the Hy-Vee Cup at the Drake Relays, awarded to the team with the best showing in relay events at the meet, for the third consecutive season. Illinois has also earned a pair of program-best marks in national polls. The team finished the season ranked fifth nationally in the Track & Field News' dual ranking has been ranked as high as 11th in the USTFCCCA National Team Rankings. Turk helped Illinois earn nine entries at this week's NCAA Championships, the most entries for the Illini under the current qualifying system.

Wheatley doubled up on USTFCCCA awards this year, having been named USTFCCCA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year this past indoor season. Wheatley, the sprints and hurdles coach for the Illini, and his athletes helped lead their teammates to their first Big Ten team title in over two decades, scoring 85 of the team's 145 points. DJ Zahn won the 400m, Brandon Stryganek won the crown in the 100m, Cam Viney topped the rest of the conference in the 400m hurdles and both the 400- and 1600-meter relays brought home Big Ten titles. Wheatley also helped Zahn win Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year, as well as Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships. In total, Illinois has seven entries in the sprints/hurdles and relays at the NCAA Championships, tied for second-most entries in the field from those two categories.

Coach Turk, Coach Wheatley and their Fighting Illini athletes will be competing at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon this week. Action begins on Wednesday, June 10 and wraps up on Friday, June 12. Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for updates from the NCAA Championships.