Duckworth SEC Field Athlete of the Year, McLaughlin Freshman of the Year
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky track and field senior Timothy Duckworth was named Southeastern Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Year, while Sydney McLaughlin picked up the Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year honor as selected by the league coaches.
McLaughlin, who set the SEC record, the NCAA freshman record and recorded the No. 2 indoor 400m time in collegiate history to claim conference gold, was also named Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Duckworth’s 2018 indoor season capsule
The senior who grew up in Phoenix and competes internationally for Great Britain, where both his parents are from, is the NCAA leader in the heptathlon having scored 7,061 at the Clemson Invitational on Jan. 19. He was SEC bronze medalist in the open long jump, his first SEC medal and then placed sixth in the SEC pole vault. He totaled nine points at SECs in the long jump and pole vault. He now ranks 19th in the NCAA in the open long jump, having reached 25’6.75″/7.79m at SECs.
McLaughlin’s 2018 indoor season capsule
The freshman from Dunellen, New Jersey, rewrote the record books during her first collegiate indoor campaign. Her top time of 50.52 in the 400 meters, set in winning the SEC crown, is a world junior record, a collegiate freshman record, and the second-best time ever recorded by a collegian in the event. She also broke the American junior record in the 300 meters earlier in the season with a time of 36.12, the second-fastest time ever recorded in the event on any level. McLaughlin also ranks ninth in the 200 meters with a clocking of 22.95, and she ran on Kentucky’s ninth-ranked 4×400 relay.
All-SEC honors
Kentucky had three Wildcats – Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Olivia Gruver and Sydney McLaughlin named to the Women’s First Team All-SEC, by virtue of their event victories at the SEC Championships. Jacob Thomson, winner of the 5k at the conference championships, was named to the men’s First Team.
Five Wildcats – four women and one man, Tim Duckworth – were named Second Team All-SEC by virtue of silver and bronze medal performances at the SEC Championships.
Kayelle Clarke claimed bronze in the 200m, Marie-Josée Ebwea-Bile took bronze in the triple jump, Katy Kunc earned silver in the 5k and bronze in the 3k, and Faith Ross ran the leadoff leg on UK’s bronze-medal 4x400m relay. Duckworth earned the aforementioned bronze in the men’s long jump.
McLaughlin earned a SEC All-Freshman Team selection by virtue of being the top freshman scorer, in fact the race winner, in the 400m.
2018 SEC Indoor Track and Field Awards
Men’s Runner of the Year: Grant Holloway, Florida
Men’s Field Athlete of the Year: Tim Duckworth, Kentucky
Men’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Damion Thomas, LSU
Men’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Johannes Erm, Georgia
Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Ncincilili Titi, South Carolina
Men’s Coach of the Year: Dan Waters, Alabama
Women’s Runner of the Year: Karissa Schweizer, Missouri
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year: Keturah Orji, Georgia
Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Sydney McLaughlin, Kentucky
Women’s Co-Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Amanda Froeynes, Florida
Women’s Co-Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Tara Davis, Georgia
Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Keturah Orji, Georgia
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lance Harter, Arkansas
2018 All-SEC Indoor Track and Field Teams (Wildcats only)
Men
First Team
Jacob Thomson
Second Team
Timothy Duckworth
Women
First Team
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn
Olivia Gruver
Sydney McLaughlin
Second Team
Kayelle Clarke
Marie-Josee Ebwea-Bile
Katy Kunc
Faith Ross
Freshman
400m: Sydney McLaughlin
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