Junior Derek Drouin, coach Jeff Huntoon honored as best in Great Lakes region

Redshirt junior high-jumper Derek Drouin and IU Associate Head Coach Jeff Huntoon were honored by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the best in their trades for the Great Lakes Region. Drouin was named the region’s Athlete of the Year and Huntoon as the Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

Drouin, a native of Corunna, Ontario, punched his ticket to the 2012 London Olympics by matching the Olympic A standard, setting the IU record and tying the all-time Big Ten record with a high jump of 2.31 meters May 12 at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Madison, Wisc.

The jump earned Drouin his fifth Big Ten high jump title, second-most in IU’s history to Dennis Adama.

“When you consider that a year ago Derek was in recovery at this time from surgery, it is a testament to his hard work that he is back on top,” IU Track and Field Director and Head Coach Ron Helmer said.

Helmer also said Huntoon’s work with Indiana’s sprinters and jumpers has made the Hoosiers a more balanced team.

“Jeff’s work with our sprinters and jumpers has elevated our program to a national level, and due to our balance, we have the ability to compete with the best in the nation,” Helmer said in a release

--Joe Popely