NEW ORLEANS — Stanislaus State women's cross country junior Kaela Dishion added another prestigious accolade to her already remarkable season Tuesday when she was named the NCAA Division II West Region Athlete of the Year, as announced by the USTFCCA.
 
Dishion won her third straight meet Saturday when she took the crown at the West Region Championship in Monmouth, Ore. She won the race going away, beating the rest of the field by more than five seconds with a time of 21 minutes, 14.4 seconds after pulling away two miles into the race. It was her second consecutive championship after also taking the California Collegiate Athletic Association title two weeks earlier on Oct. 23.
 
Winning the West Region championship helped lead the Warriors to their best-ever finish at the meet – second – and an automatic qualification to the national championship. She was named CCAA Runner of the Year after winning the individual title, and guided the Warriors to their first-ever CCAA championship trophy. Dishion also won the Cougar Challenge on Sept. 25 at Cal State San Marcos, which earned her CCAA Runner of the Week honors on Sept. 27.
 
Dishion and the Warriors travel to Saint Leo, Fla., on Nov. 20 for the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship, to be hosted at the Abbey Golf Course. Fans can find all live coverage links on WarriorAthletics.com.