Southern Oregon University’s Zach Beltz was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference track and field men’s athlete of the year on Thursday, becoming the eighth Raider to earn the distinction as voted on by the CCC’s head coaches.

Beltz, a senior from Elmira, last weekend captured the Raiders’ first long jump national title at the NAIA Outdoor Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. He spent the entirety of his collegiate career at SOU, winning four conference titles in the long jump and three in the triple jump.

He was previously named the NAIA men’s West Region field athlete of the year by the US Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.

Beltz took down record after record during his final season, finishing at No. 1 on the NAIA performance lists in both of his specialty disciplines. With a long-jump mark of 25 feet, 10 inches at the CCC Championships, he broke the meet record and his own school record.

Beltz recorded his top triple-jump mark at the CCC Championships with a meet record of 50-7. Before him, no individual had ever won long and triple jump titles at the same meet; he did it three times and was also the first individual to complete a career sweep in the former event.

MCDERMOTT HONORED: Southern Oregon’s Josh McDermott has been named the Cascade Collegiate Conference sports information director of the year, the league office announced.

The annual award is voted on by the sports information directors of the CCC, recognizing outstanding work in promotion, work with CCC and NAIA championship events, publicity and marketing efforts.

McDermott, completing his sixth year with the Raiders, led the sports information coverage for the CCC volleyball, softball and track and field championships hosted by SOU during the 2018-19 season. He also handled NAIA opening rounds in men’s soccer and softball.

He received a first-place award for the fourth straight year in the NAIA-SIDA Publications Contest for game notes.

He also earned the CCC honor in 2015.