Mormon track and field coach honored

TUSCON, Ariz. – It’s been a great month for Craig Carter.

Just weeks after The University of Arizona assistant track and field coach helped his athletes to break records and win national championships, Carter was honored by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the women’s west regional assistant coach of the year.

Carter is also being considered for the national assistant coach of year.

“I am very excited to get the award. It means a lot to me,” said Carter, a former two-time all-American in throwing events at Utah State. “I have worked hard – not for the award – but to be the best coach I can be and to help build a great program. It’s nice when your peers recognize that.”

Since arriving at Arizona three years ago, Carter has mentored more than 10 all-Americans. This past season Carter coached sophomore Julie Labonte to three Canadian indoor national records in the shot put and Jill Camarena-Williams, an assistant women’s track and field coach at BYU, to her seventh national championship and a new shot put record at the United States Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Carter, a Mormon, attributes part of his success as a track and field coach to lessons he learned growing up in the LDS Church.

“It (the church) has helped me as a person to make good choices,” he said.

Carter has been married to Jo-Anne Bouwhuis for more than 20 years. They have four children.

e-mail: ttoone@desnews.com