Lewis-Clark State’s Clayton VanDyke Voted Cascade Collegiate Conference Male Track Athlete of the Year | Sports

LEWISTON – Clayton VanDyke will leave Lewis-Clark State College as one of the most decorated student-athletes to compete in a Warrior uniform. To go along with all of his accolades over his three years, the senior was named the 2022 Cascade Collegiate Conference WVT Laboratory Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year, announced by the conference on Wednesday.

“I think this is a nice final cap to the year and to a tremendous career,” Head Coach Mike Collins said. “I would have loved to have had Clayton for his entire college career, but I believe things work they way they do for a reason and having the opportunity to coach him here was special for me. I think this is a nice, special way to recognize him for all that he does both for our program and in general in the sport of track and field.”

VanDyke ends his collegiate career as the 2022 NAIA Indoor 800m National Champion, four-time National Runner-Up, seven-time All-American, two-time CCC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, four-time CCC Champion, and countless others honors. This season alone, the Vernal, Utah, native set LC State program records in the indoor 600m (1:20.30), indoor 800m (1:50.29), indoor 1,000m (2:26.23), indoor mile (4:07.79), outdoor 800m (1:49.43) and outdoor 1,500m (3:45.71.). He was also a member of record-setting indoor 4x400m relay (3:23.66), outdoor 4x400m relay (3:21.08) and outdoor 4x800m relay (7:46.52) teams.

VanDyke is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree and was voted a CoSIDA Academic All-American last year. He is on this year’s ballot and has the chance to earn the award for the second straight year. VanDyke has twice been named a USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year.

The senior defended his Cascade Conference titles in the 800m and 1,500m at the conference championships earlier this month and was named the CCC Men’s Track Athlete of the Meet. That same weekend, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Graphic Communications and a 3.92 GPA. At outdoor nationals, he was the National Runner-Up in the 800m.

VanDyke was voted the LCSPYs Male Athlete of the Year and Warrior of the Year by coaches and peers.