Brenda Thiel has been named the Midwest Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Thiel coaches the Falcon women and men throwers - a group that has set UWRF records, won WIAC titles, earned All-American recognition and earned several spots in this year's elite NCAA National Meet field.

Four of Thiel's throwers will compete in this week's NCAA National Meet at UW-Oshkosh. Vicki Cooper will compete in the shot put, discus and javelin events. Krista Hasselquist will throw the shot and discus, Kim Altenhofen will compete in the shot and Becky Ponick will also compete in the javelin. Thiel has coached 12 Falcons to spots in NCAA indoor and outdoor National Meets during her tenure at UWRF.

She has coached Falcons who have won six WIAC championships and set three indoor and four outdoor school records. She has also coached five Falcons to NCAA All-American recognition.

Thiel, in her fourth year with the Falcons, competed in track & field at the University of Minnesota from 1997-2001. She placed in the top eight in every season at Big Ten Conference meets. She competed in the weight, hammer and discus events. Her best finish was second place in the hammer in 2001.

A Watertown, Wis., native, Thiel graduated from Minnesota with a degree in forest products marketing. She is currently working for EMPI as a refunds specialist in the finance department.