BIRMINGHAM – SEC Track and Field Athlete of the Year honors, voted upon by the conference coaches, included four awards for Texas A&M athletes as Deon Lendore and Olivia Ekponé were each named SEC Runner of the Year, Shelbi Vaughan was selected co-Field Athlete of the Year and Shamier Little garnered SEC Freshman Runner of the Year.
“Each of those awards is very much earned,” said Aggie head coach Pat Henry. “It’s great that the rest of the conference coaches see the excellence in those four athletes. Each of them produced throughout the season and had a big-time performance at the conference meet.”
Henry was named men’s SEC Coach of the Year as Texas A&M claimed its first SEC men’s team title with 155 points and ended a three-year winning streak by Arkansas. A&M is just the third school other than Arkansas to win the SEC Outdoor team title since 2003. Tennessee won the 2007 title while Florida won in 2010.
On Championship Sunday the Aggie men won seven events – 100, 200, 400, 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles, 4×100 relay, 4×400 relay. They set SEC Championship meet records in the 4×1 and 4×4 relays while establishing A&M school records in the 400 meters and 110 hurdles. Texas A&M became the first school to ever sweep all seven sprint, hurdle and relay events in one SEC meet dating back to 1933, the first year of the SEC track and field meet.
In addition the Aggies swept all four relay events, winning the men’s and women’s 4×100 and 4×400, and became the first school to achieve the feat in the SEC, dating back to 1981 when the women’s meet began. LSU has won three of the four relays before on four occasions – 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2008.
As SEC Runner of the Year selections Lendore and Ekponé each were part of three victories for the Aggies on the final day of the meet.
“They were very deserving, both have done a tremendous job all year,” noted Henry. “They are great leaders for us, on and off the track, so I’m very pleased they were honored by the SEC coaches.”
Lendore posted his sixth consecutive victory in a conference 400m race over the past three seasons, sweeping the indoor and outdoor league titles. He won the 2014 SEC title in 44.36 seconds to break a 45-year-old A&M school record of 44.67 set by Curtis Mills in winning the 1969 NCAA Championship. Lendore has also been part of a winning 4×400 relay in each of his conference meets making him a perfect 12 for 12 over the past three years with indoor and outdoor titles in the 400 and 4×400 relay.
For the 2014 SEC meet Lendore also anchored the 4×100 to victory in a SEC Championship meet record of 38.50. Earlier in the season Lendore anchored the Aggie sprint relay to a school record of 38.30 during the Texas Relays. At the Penn Relays, Lendore anchored A&M’s 4×200 to a school record of 1:20.29. Indoors, Lendore ran the anchor leg of the 4×400 that won the SEC title with a collegiate record of 3:03.20.
Ekponé completed a sweep of the 100 and 200 meters with career best times in each race, winning the 100 in 11.11 and establishing the world leading time for 2014 in the 200 with a 22.23. Ekponé broke the Aggie school record in the 200 and bettered the SEC Championship record as well. In closing out the SEC meet Ekponé split 49.9 on the anchor leg of the A&M 4×400 as they won the race in 3:28.59. The 22.5 points scored by Ekponé made her the high-point scorer of the meet, earning her the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Last month at the Penn Relays Ekponé enjoyed being part of three victories as she defended her 100m title, anchored the 4×100 to a sixth consecutive victory as they ran a collegiate-leading 43.11 and ran on the winning 4×200 squad in a collegiate-leading 1:30.21.
With a series that included two throws over 200 feet Vaughan defended the SEC title she claimed as a freshman and broke the previous SEC Championship record of 194-4 set in 1994 with each of her five attempts that were measured.
Opening her SEC series with a 204-2 toss Vaughan broke her own A&M school record of 199-3 and moved to No. 9 on the all-time collegiate list. Her last throw measured 208-8 and is No. 6 on the all-time collegiate list. In between those two massive throws Vaughan’s series included a foul in round two followed by marks of 197-0, 198-7 and 198-11. She won her second SEC title by 33 feet over the runner-up performance.
“Shelbi was kind of in her own world during the conference meet,” said Henry. “What a great effort and great performance by her. Sometimes it’s very difficult to do that well when you’re competition isn’t doing as well as normal. When she gets to the national meet the competition will be extremely tough and she is one who I think has learned to compete in both types of competition.”
For the second consecutive year Vaughan has compiled a season where she is undefeated by collegians through the conference meet. This year that streak includes six meets with titles claimed at UTSA, Texas Relays, Stanford, Texas State and the SEC while finishing as the top collegian in the Sun Angel Classic held at Arizona State.
Little continues to produce impressive performances each time she is on the track and her stellar double in the 400 and 400 hurdles at the conference meet was the just the latest of her amazing feats. Kamaria Brown was unable to compete in the 400m final at the SEC Championships, and Little picked up the slack by winning the race from lane two with a career best time of 51.06, moving her to No. 10 on the U.S. junior all-time list and equal No. 2 on the Aggie all-time list.
An hour later Little clocked a career best of 56.01 in the SEC 400 hurdles for third place with her time the No. 8 mark on the U.S. Junior all-time list and third fastest on the A&M all-time list. Little is the only person who has made the top 10 U.S. Junior all-time list in both the 400 and 400 hurdles.
“To run 51.0 and win the 400 in the SEC and then to come back and run 56.0 in the intermediate hurdles for a freshman is a tremendous feat,” stated Henry. “We’ve never had anybody do that. It was a great effort and she still has some big races in front of her.
“She an integral part of the 4×4 as well, so we made some decisions on what individual event is best for her at nationals. We think it’s more important for her to run the hurdles, which is an event she can be very, very good in.”
During the indoor season Little placed third in the SEC 400 (51.86 PR), finishing as the top freshman in the event, and then produced another third place effort at the NCAA Indoor Championships (51.96), again as the top freshman in the field. Little has also contributed to the relays for the Aggies, running on the collegiate leading 4×200 that won the Penn Relays as well as the 4×400 which placed third at Texas Relays and Penn Relays as well as winning efforts at Stanford, Sun Angel and LSU Alumni Gold.
Two Aggies named to the SEC community service team in track and field were Clifton Harlin and Heather Sterling. The SEC names a community service team for each of its 21 league-sponsored sports to highlight a male and female athlete from each school who gives back to his or her community through superior service efforts.
Harlin, a junior pole vaulter, served on the Executive Team as the Public Relations Chairman for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Sterling, a junior distance runner, was Vice President of Aggie Athletes Involved. Both worked on various community service projects which included Hard Hats for Little Heads and AggieCAN.
2014 SEC OUTDOOR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Men’s Runner of the Year: Deon Lendore, Texas A&M
Men’s Field Athlete of the Year: Ricky Robertson, Ole Miss
Men’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Omar McLeod, Arkansas
Men’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Alex Poursanidis, Georgia
Men’s Coach of the Year: Pat Henry, Texas A&M
Men’s Co-Scholar-Athletes of the Year: Brandon Lord, Georgia and Nathanael Franks, Arkansas
Women’s Runner of the Year: Olivia Ekponé, Texas A&M
Women’s Co-Field Athlete of the Year: Ciarra Brewer, Florida and Shelbi Vaughan, Texas A&M
Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Shamier Little, Texas A&M
Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Kendell Williams, Georgia
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lance Harter, Arkansas
Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jill Rushin, Missouri
Men’s All-SEC First Team
Aldrich Bailey, Jr., Texas A&M
Gregory Coleman, Texas A&M
Wayne Davis II, Texas A&M
Marquis Dendy, Florida
Raymond Dykstra, Kentucky
Andrew Evans, Kentucky
Elias Hakansson, Alabama
Prezel Hardy, Jr., Texas A&M
Shavez Hart, Texas A&M
Raymond Higgs, Arkansas
Stanley Kebenei, Arkansas
Sam Kendricks, Ole Miss
Deon Lendore, Texas A&M
Brandon Lord, Georgia
Brandon McBride, Mississippi State
Keffri Neal, Kentucky
Alex Poursanidis, Georgia
Ricky Robertson, Ole Miss
Carlyle Roudette, Texas A&M
Bralon Taplin, Texas A&M
Michael Uibo, Georgia
Stipe Zunic, Florida
Men’s All-SEC Second Team
Tremayne Acy, LSU
Shermund Allsop, LSU
Jake Blankenship, Tennessee
Drew Branch, Georgia
Rodney Brown, LSU
Niklas Buhner, Auburn
Justin Carter, Auburn
Robert Domanic, Ole Miss
Quincy Downing, LSU
Dedric Dukes, Florida
Fitzroy Dunkley, LSU
Aaron Ernest, LSU
Nathanael Franks, Arkansas
Najee Glass, Florida
Gabe Gonzales, Arkansas
Hugh Graham, Jr., Florida
Cyril Grayson, LSU
Scottie Hearn, Mississippi State
Hector Hernandez, Texas A&M
Matt Hillenbrand, Kentucky
Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas
Eddie Lovett, Florida
Anthony May, Arkansas
Omar McLeod, Arkansas
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, LSU
Vernon Norwood, LSU
Hayden Reed, Alabama
Garrett Scantling, Georgia
Ryan Schnulle, Florida
Stephen Saenz, Auburn
DJ Smith, Auburn
Isaac Spencer, Texas A&M
Kyle Strawn, Florida
Sean Tobin, Ole Miss
Nick Uruburu, Florida
Nick Vena, Georgia
Austin Wells, Texas A&M
Chase Wolfle, Texas A&M
Antwan Wright, Florida
Phillip Young, Ole Miss
Kaleb Zuidema, South Carolina
Men’s SEC All-Freshman Team
100m: Teray Smith, Auburn
110mH: Omar McLeod, Arkansas
200m: Teray Smith, Auburn
400m: Nick Uruburu, Florida
400mH: Larry Donald, Arkansas
800m: Jacopo Lahbi, Alabama
1,500m: Robert Domanic, Ole Miss
Steeplechase: Spencer Hrycay, Kentucky
5,000m: Sean Tobin, Ole Miss
10,000m: Austin Wells, Texas A&M
High Jump: Ibn Short, Kentucky
Pole Vault: Charles Moushey, Kentucky
Long Jump: Clive Pullen, Arkansas
Triple Jump: Jeffrey Prothro, Texas A&M
Shot Put: Kyle Felpel, Alabama
Discus: Hayden Reed, Alabama
Hammer Throw: Alex Poursanidis, Georgia
Javelin: Justin Carter, Auburn
Decathlon: Ibn Short, Kentucky
Women’s All-SEC First Team
Janeil Bellille, Texas A&M
Ciarra Brewer, Florida
Aaliyah Brown, Texas A&M
Kamaria Brown, Texas A&M
Ashley Collier, Texas A&M
Olivia Ekpone’, Texas A&M
Rochelle Farquharson, Mississippi State
Elizabeth Tepe, Georgia
Kendra Harrison, Kentucky
Grace Heymsfield, Arkansas
Leontia Kallenou, Georgia
Shamier Little, Texas A&M
Jennifer Madu, Texas A&M
Yanique Malcolm, Alabama
Ibukun Mayungbe, Texas A&M
Cory McGee, Florida
Fawn Miller, Florida
Sandi Morris, Arkansas
Ashton Purvis, Texas A&M
Diane Robison, Arkansas
Jill Rushin, Missouri
Dominique Scott, Arkansas
Shelbi Vaughan, Texas A&M
Kendell Williams, Georgia
Women’s All-SEC Second Team
Nia Barnes, Alabama
Dominque Booker, Kentucky
Dezerea Bryant, Kentucky
Remona Burchell, Alabama
Taylor Burke, Florida
Quintunya Chapman, Georgia
Loreal Curtis, Florida
Taylor Ellis-Watson, Arkansas
Ebony Eutsey, Florida
Destinee Gause, Florida
Alex Gochenour, Alabama
Sarah Graham, South Carolina
Cornelia Griesche, Mississippi State
Carly Hamilton, Georgia
Daina Harper, Arkansas
Denise Hinton, LSU
Madison Jacobs, Kentucky
Freya Jones, Georgia
Jessica Kamilos, Arkansas
Cally Macumber, Kentucky
Megan Malasarte, Georgia
LaQue Moen-Davis, Texas A&M
Valentina Muzaric, Auburn
Danielle Nowell, Arkansas
Bridgette Owens, Florida
Kayla Parker, Kentucky
Allison Peare, Kentucky
Kearsten Peoples, Missouri
Lynnika Pitts, LSU
Chanice Porter, Georgia
Robin Reynolds, Florida
Shayla Sanders, Florida
Jasmin Stowers, LSU
Keilah Tyson, Kentucky
Ariel Voskamp, Arkansas
Marija Vucenovic, Florida
Chrishuna Williams, Arkansas
Regine Williams, Arkansas
Women’s SEC All-Freshman Team
100m: Aaliyah Brown, Texas A&M
100mH: Ebony Morrison, Auburn
200m: Aaliyah Brown, Texas A&M
400m: Shamier Little, Texas A&M
400mH: Shamier Little, Texas A&M
800m: Rebekah Greene, Florida
1,500m: Rhianwedd Price, Mississippi State
Steeplechase: Rachel Givens, Auburn
5,000m: Samantha Mohler, Arkansas
10,000m: Kaitlyn Fischer, Missouri
High Jump: Tatiana Gusin, Georgia
Pole Vault: Sarah Bell, Vanderbilt
Long Jump: Nataliyah Friar, LSU
Triple Jump: Marshay Ryan, Auburn
Shot Put: Madison Jacobs, Kentucky
Discus: Madison Jacobs, Kentucky
Hammer Throw: Alison Ondrusek, Texas A&M
Javelin: Rebekah Wales, LSU
Heptathlon: Kendell Williams, Georgia
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics