Fick, Smith, and Coach Sythe Garner Big West Yearly Awards

5/20/2022 12:00:00 PM | Track and Field

Andy Sythe was named Women’s Head Coach of the Year, Jason Smith was named Men’s Field Athlete of the Year, and Ryley Fick earned Co-Women’s Track Athlete of the Year honors.

By: Collin Robinson, Associate Athletics Communications Director

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State garnered three of the Big West Conference's end of the year awards with Andy Sythe earning Women's Coach of the Year, Jason Smith earning Men's Field Athlete of the Year, and Ryley Fick earning Co-Women's Track Athlete of the Year. The news was announced on Friday by the conference office.

Smith adds another award to his historic career and long list of accolades with his third Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Year award. He is just the fourth student-athlete, male or female, in conference history to win back-to-back yearly honors and the third to win it three times in a career.

The back-to-back Athlete of the Meet recipient swept his jump events claiming the title in men's Long Jump, High Jump, and Triple Jump becoming the first to achieve the feat in Big West history. The San Bruno native extends Long Beach State's streak to six consecutive Field Athletes of the Year going back to 2015.

Fick has had a phenomenal year, earning Co-Women's Track Athlete of the Year for the first time in her career. She is the first women's track athlete in Long Beach State history to win the award since the Big West created separate track/field athlete of the year honors.

The junior was named Athlete of the Meet last weekend after claiming to individual titles and helping the Beach to the second women's team title in program history. She became the first LBSU women's 800m champion since 1988 and was just shy of the meet record in her championship-winning race in the 3000m Steeplechase.

For Director of Track and Field, Andy Sythe, it is his second time winning the Women's Coach of the Year honor and tenth time overall for either program. He is just the third head coach in conference history to garner the award at least 10 times.

Fresh off a contract extension, the 33-year head coach led the women to their second title in program history totaling a program record 134 points to do it. Under his leadership, Long Beach State has now had 15 total conference championships, 23 athletes of the year, and 180 individual Big West champions in his time at the Beach after claiming the women's team title this year along two athletes of the year and 13 individual conference champions.

In addition to the three yearly awards, the Beach totaled 22 men's All-Big West performances and 11 women's All-Big West performances.