AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific's championship pedigree was on full display once again, as Luisa Fischer and Lincoln Krog were named the 2024 PacWest Field Athletes of the Year, while head coach Jack Hoyt earned PacWest Women's Coach of the Year honors following another historic season for Cougar Track & Field.
Luisa Fischer – PacWest Women's Field Athlete of the Year
Fischer, a senior from Germany, capped off her stellar career with a record-setting spring, scoring 25 points at the NCAA Division II National Championships and 26 points at the PacWest Championships. At nationals, Fischer earned the silver medal in the heptathlon with a career-best 5,817 points—ranking seventh all-time in NCAA DII Championship history. She added a 12th-place finish in the javelin to help power the Cougars to a top-five team finish.
At the PacWest Championships, Fischer showcased her versatility by setting a conference record in the javelin (50.14m) and finishing fifth in the high jump, proving once again why she's one of the nation's premier multi-event athletes.
Lincoln Krog – PacWest Men's Field Athlete of the Year
On the men's side, Lincoln Krog (Stevenson, Wash.) delivered one of the most memorable decathlon performances in Cougar history. At the NCAA National Championships, Krog tallied a career-best 7,639 points, finishing just 32 points shy of the national title and becoming the first Cougar since Olympic gold medalist Bryan Clay to surpass the 7,600-point mark.
Krog was remarkably consistent across all 10 events, placing no lower than seventh in any single discipline. He closed out the two-day competition with a 4:40.42 in the 1,500 meters to secure second place and his third career outdoor All-American honor—his best national finish to date.
Jack Hoyt – PacWest Women's Coach of the Year
Head coach Jack Hoyt was honored as the PacWest Women's Coach of the Year after leading the Cougars to their ninth straight conference title—and seventh consecutive under his leadership. Azusa Pacific ran away with the championship, scoring 209 points—66 more than the runner-up—and crowning nine individual champions at the PacWest meet.
Since joining the PacWest in 2013, APU has won nine of the 11 women's team titles. Hoyt, who previously coached at Seattle Pacific and UCLA, has built a national powerhouse at Azusa Pacific, guiding the program to NCAA national team titles in both 2021 and 2023.
