Track and Field Earns Five Regional Honors
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 | Track and Field
The University of Florida track and field team and coaching staff have earned five regional awards from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for their outstanding efforts during the 2010 indoor track and field season as voted on by the nation's coaches, the New Orleans-based organization announced Tuesday evening.
Seventy-two total awards were announced, comprised of one award per category, per gender for each of the nine regions. The organization recognizes a track athlete of the year, a field athlete of the year, a head coach of the year and an assistant coach of the year on both the men's and women's sides. The awards will be presented at a banquet Thursday evening at Fayetteville, Ark.
The awards Florida received this season are as follows:
- USTFCCCA South Region Men's Head Coach of the Year: Mike Holloway
- USTFCCCA South Region Women's Head Coach of the Year: Mike Holloway
- USTFCCCA South Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year: Todd Morgan
- USTFCCCA South Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year: Charlotte Browning
- USTFCCCA South Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year: Christian Taylor
Head coach Mike Holloway was named both the USTFCCCA South Region Men's Head Coach of the Year and the USTFCCCA South Region Women's Head Coach of the Year, having led the Gators to stellar seasons so far. The women's team, currently ranked No. 4 in the nation, captured its first Southeastern Conference Indoor Championship since the 2004 season backed by the strength of five individual league crowns. Two women's athletes – Charlotte Browning (mile) and Mariam Kevkhishvili (shot put) - lead the nation in their respective events. Holloway has led the men's team to a current No. 1 national ranking and a second-place finish at the 2010 SEC Indoor Championships. Under his direction, the Gator men won four SEC individual titles and have three athletes – Jeff Demps (60m), Calvin Smith (200m) and Christian Taylor (triple jump) – who lead the nation in their respective events.
Assistant coach Todd Morgan was named the USTFCCCA South Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year after directing the Florida women's distance corps earn 47 of the team's 110 total points en route to the SEC Indoor Championship. Pupil Charlotte Browning leads the nation in the women's mile and was the co-recipient of the SEC's Cliff Harper Trophy as the league's high-points scorer after winning both the mile and 3,000-meter run. Morgan directed an impressive group in the women's 3,000-meter run at the SEC Indoor Championships that scored 24 total points in that event alone. This past fall, he was named the SEC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading the Gator women to their first team title in that sport since 1997.
Junior distance runner Charlotte Browning (Pullborough, England), the 2010 USTFCCCA South Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year, has turned in an exceptional indoor campaign, leading to SEC individual championships in both the mile and 3,000-meter run. In accomplishing that feat, Browning became the first Florida women's distance runner to capture multiple individual events at the SEC Indoor Championships since Becki Wells did so in 1996. She was the co-recipient (with teammate Shara Proctor) of the SEC's Cliff Harper Trophy, recognizing the high-points scorer at the indoor league championship. Browning holds the fastest time in the nation in the women's mile this season at 4:31.24, both a school record and an NCAA automatic-qualifying time. Browning is the only athlete in school history to rank among the top-five all-time in both the women's mile and women's 3,000m. The SEC Female Runner of the Week for Feb. 16, Browning now holds the Dempsey facility record for the women's mile at the prestigious Husky Classic at the University of Washington.
Sophomore jumper Christian Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) was named the 2010 USTFCCCA South Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season. He is the national leader and 2010 SEC Indoor Champion in the men's triple jump with an NCAA automatic-qualifying mark of 16.83m/55-2.75. He ranks among the nation's top 12 in three different events – the triple jump, the long jump and the 4x400-meter relay. He defended his SEC men's indoor triple jump championship two weeks ago, winning for the second consecutive year, and will look to defend his NCAA men's triple jump title at the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships. Taylor tied for the team lead at the SEC Indoor Championships with 18.5 points, after winning the men's triple jump, finishing third in the long jump and running as part of the winning men's 4x400-meter relay team.
The Florida track and field team returns to action Friday-Saturday when it travels to Fayetteville , Ark., to participate in the NCAA Indoor Championships. Complete results and a recap will be available at www.GatorZone.com.
For all of the latest information on Florida track and field, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/trackfield or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter page @GZTrackField or www.twitter.com/GZTrackField.
2010 USTFCCCA INDOOR REGIONAL ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Men's Regional Track Athletes of the Year
Great Lakes Region: Thomas Murdaugh, Ohio State
Mid-Atlantic Region: Ryan Foster, Penn State
Midwest Region: Ronnie Ash, Oklahoma
Mountain Region: David McNeill, Northern Arizona
Northeast Region: Jarrett Eaton, Syracuse
South Region: Torrin Lawrence, Georgia
South Central Region: Dorian Ulrey, Arkansas
Southeast Region: Rondel Sorillo, Kentucky
West Region: Andrew Wheating, Oregon
Men's Regional Field Athletes of the Year
Great Lakes Region: Derek Drouin, Indiana
Mid-Atlantic Region: Joe Kovacs, Penn State
Midwest Region: Nick Adcock, Missouri
Mountain Region: Bryce Lamb, Texas Tech
Northeast Region: Nate Hunter, Northeastern
South Region: Christian Taylor, Florida
South Central Region: Walter Henning, LSU
Southeast Region: Alexander Ziegler, Virginia Tech
West Region: Ashton Eaton, Oregon
Women's Regional Track Athletes of the Year
Great Lakes Region: Molly Beckwith, Indiana
Mid-Atlantic Region: Shavon Greaves, Penn State
Midwest Region: Lisa Koll, Iowa State
Mountain Region: Blessing Okagbare, UTEP
Northeast Region: Holly Van Dalen, Stony Brook
South Region: Charlotte Browning, Florida
South Central Region: Jessica Beard, Texas A&M
Southeast Region: Queen Harrison, Virginia Tech
West Region: Katie Follett, Washington
Women's Regional Field Athletes of the Year
Great Lakes Region: Kylie Hutson, Indiana State
Mid-Atlantic Region: Chelsea Carrier, West Virginia
Midwest Region: Jeneva McCall, Southern Illinois
Mountain Region: Blessing Okagbare, UTEP
Northeast Region: Victoria Flowers, UConn
South Region: Kim Williams, Florida State
South Central Region: Tina Sutej, Arkansas
Southeast Region: April Sinkler, Clemson
West Region: Brianne Theisen, Oregon
Men's Regional Head Coach of the Year
Great Lakes Region: Robert Gary, Ohio State
Mid-Atlantic Region: Fred Samara, Princeton
Midwest Region: Martin Smith, Oklahoma
Mountain Region: Eric Hines, Northern Arizona
Northeast Region: Roberto Vives, Albany
South Region: Mike Holloway, Florida
South Central Region: Chris Bucknam, Arkansas
Southeast Region: Dennis Craddock, North Carolina
West Region: Edrick Floreal, Stanford
Men's Regional Assistant Coach of the Year
Great Lakes Region: Ed Beathea, Ohio State
Mid-Atlantic Region: Al Cantello, Navy
Midwest Region: Paul Thornton, Minnesota
Mountain Region: Rock Light, Texas Tech
Northeast Region: Matt Jones, Albany
South Region: Ken Harnden, Florida State
South Central Region: Derek Yush, LSU
Southeast Region: Greg Jack, Virginia Tech
West Region: David Dumble, Arizona State
Women's Regional Head Coach of the Year
Great Lakes Region: Karen Dennis, Ohio State
Mid-Atlantic Region: Beth Alford-Sullivan, Penn State
Midwest Region: Gary Pepin, Nebraska
Mountain Region: Bob Kitchens, UTEP
Northeast Region: Bill Morgan, UConn
South Region: Mike Holloway, Florida
South Central Region: Pat Henry, Texas A&M
Southeast Region: Lawrence Johnson, Clemson
West Region: Vin Lananna, Oregon
Women's Regional Assistant Coach of the Year
Great Lakes Region: Nate Davis, Wisconsin
Mid-Atlantic Region: Chris Johnson, Penn State
Midwest Region: John Smith, Southern Illinois
Mountain Region: Kebba Tolbert, UTEP
Northeast Region: Gavin O'Neal, Columbia
South Region: Todd Morgan, Florida
South Central Region: Vince Anderson, Texas A&M
Southeast Region: Mario Wilson, Clemson
West Region: Sheldon Blockberger, Arizona
END OF REPORT
