EMPORIA, Kan. -- ACU distance standout Nicodemus Naimadu was named the NCAA Division II national Male Athlete of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association during its annual awards banquet Wednesday night before the national outdoor championship meet began.

Naimadu -- who was named the NCAA Division II South Central Region athlete of the year -- earned his fifth national honor during Wednesday's festivities.  Naimadu has also been named the Athlete of the Year in cross country in 2004 and 2005, and he was named Athlete of the Year indoors in both 2005 and 2006.

Naimadu has already established himself as one of the greatest distance runners in NCAA Division II history, and this year he ranks first nationally in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:29.82) and 5,000 (13:34.98).  He's the defending NCAA outdoor champion in both events, and his steeplechase best is faster than any Division I performer has run this season.  Naimadu is a also a two-time NCAA Division II national cross country champion, giving him six career national championships.

First-year  ACU head coach Don D. Hood was honored as the Men's Coach of the Year in the South Central Region, and freshman Jessica Withrow was named the region's Female Field Athlete of the Year.

In his first year as head coach of the Division II powerhouse, Hood guided the defending national champions to the Lone Star Conference title. Abilene Christian qualified 14 individuals and two relay teams for the NCAA meet as it looks for its fifth straight outdoor national championship.

Withrow will compete in three events at the NCAA meet -- the heptathlon, long jump and high jump. Her best score of 5,042 ranks her second in the heptathlon. She has long jumped 19-0 and high jumped 5-8.75 this season.