ST. LOUIS – Gary Westerfield was given the Robert Giegengack Award Saturday evening during the Jesse Owens Hall of Fame Banquet at the Hyatt Regency. The banquet was a part of the USA Track & Field Annual Meeting, which will conclude with the Closing Session Sunday.

Established in 1982, the Robert Giegengack Award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the excellence and high standards in the sport of Athletics. The award is USA Track & Field’s highest accolade for contributions to Athletics in any category of volunteer work.

Specifically, Westerfield has developed a coaching program for a middle school and high school in Long Island, N.Y., introducing athletes to track and field and race walking. Becoming a mentor for officials and judges surrounding the race walking community, Westerfield is a Masters level official with years of involvement at the NAIA track and field level.

Westerfield has been involved with the Long Island Association and worked earlier this year to help the New York Association become certified. He has been involved in race walk, men’s and women’s track and field, the youth committee, coaching education at USA Track & Field and has also been involved at the IAAF level in race walking, the Officials Committee and the Associations Committee.

For more updates on the USA Track & Field Annual Meeting continue to check www.usatf.org.