The Big West Conference announced Cal Poly senior Julieanne Dufresne and freshman Derek Thomas as Athletes of the Year on Wednesday.
Dufresne was recognized as the Women’s Field Athlete of the Year while Thomas was named Men’s Freshman of the Year.
Dufresne was the lone double-winner for Cal Poly at the conference finals last weekend after victories in the shot put with a personal best effort of 52 feet, 8 3/4 inches and the discus with a new seasonal best of 161-3.
She recorded 12 victories between the shot put and discus at various meets during the season and is ranked No. 18 in the shot put and No. 65 in the discus in the latest national rankings. She will enter as the No. 2 seed in the shot put at the NCAA Western Regional in Eugene, Ore. on May 29 and will also be the No. 17 seed in the discus.
Dufresne joins Tamantha Jackson (1998) and Beijing Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown (2003) as the only Mustangs to win the award.
Thomas became the second Mustang in program history to win Freshman of the Year, following current teammate Joe Gatel in 2006. He won a Big West Conference title in the 1,500 finishing in 3:46.19.
Thomas posted a personal-best 3:43.92 at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 17, the No. 35 time in the nation. Over the course of his rookie campaign, he has victories in the 1,500 at the Mustang All-Comers and the Big West Championships and won the 800 at both the Cal Poly-Fresno State Dual and the Cal Poly Invitational.
Thomas will join Dufresne and 15 other Mustangs at the NCAA West Regional on May 29.