SEATTLE (June 20) -- Stephanie Huffman, Seattle Pacific University's two-time All-America and winner of three events at the conference level, has been voted the Great Northwest Athletic Conference female track & field athlete of the year by the coaches.

Huffman (Sr., Brush Prairie, Wa./Prairie) received six of the eight first-place votes to outscore Central Washington middle-distance runner Alicen Maier, 33-28. Seattle Pacific's Leah Wiiest (Sr., Spokane, Wa./Deer Park) was voted newcomer of the year.

Last month Huffman took second in the javelin and third in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division II Championships. Earlier, she won GNAC titles in the long jump, javelin and heptathlon, took second in the triple jump and high jump and was fifth in the 100-meter hurdles in helping the Falcons claim the team championship.

Wiiest, competing in track for the first time, placed 11th in the NCAA heptathlon and was third in the GNAC. In addition she was fifth in the conference 200 and long jump and seventh in the hurdles.

Jason Walker, a sprinter for Humboldt State, was the men's athlete of the year.