Roe Named West Regional Representative by Peers
Third Year Distance Coach Has Best Two-Year Run in School-History

November 16, 2006

LONG BEACH, CA-- Third-year Long Beach State Distance Coach Matt Roe was elected the Men's West Regional Representative for the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association and will serve as a voting member for the national poll and compile the weekly regional poll during the 2007 season. A position largely held by coaches in the Pac-10, Roe succeeds Dr. James Li, the Head Coach at the University of Arizona.

"It's an honor to be voted in by my peers and I'm excited to represent a very strong region," said Roe, who was an overwhelming favorite and who will represent a region that sent a record eight teams to the NCAA Championships in 2006. "I keep a very good eye on the region already, so I'm already pretty familiar with it."

Roe will also represent the West at the annual coaches convention in San Antonio from December 11 to 13 and vote on any legislation that occurs.

Roe has quickly developed the Long Beach State cross country program into an up and coming regional program, producing the school's best two-year regional finish in school-history, by firing off 10th and 12th place finishes in each of the last two seasons. The women's team had its best finish of all-time at the conference meet in late October, finishing a school-record, second.