Gruver, Floréal, McLaughlin Pick up Indoor Regional Awards
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky track and field’s Olivia Gruver, Sydney McLaughlin and head coach Edrick Floréal earned awards within the Southeast Region from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday.
Kentucky swept the Southeast Region women’s indoor awards for the second year in a row.
Gruver, who set the Southeastern Conference record and recorded the No. 2 indoor pole vault in collegiate history en route to the SEC gold, was named Southeast Field Athlete of the Year.
McLaughlin, who set the SEC record, the NCAA freshman record and recorded the No. 2 indoor 400m time in collegiate history to claim her own conference gold, was named Southeast Track Athlete of the Year.
Floréal repeated as Southeast Region Women’s Head Coach of the Year, picking up the honor for the third time overall (2014) and fifth time overall, having also earned the honor in 2015 and 2016 for the outdoor season.
Gruver’s 2018 indoor season capsule
The junior from Reisterstown, Maryland, reached new heights in the pole vault during the indoor season. Her top clearance of 15’3.75″/4.67m ranks first nationally in the event, and is the second-highest collegiate indoor pole vault clearance ever. She won every pole vault competition she entered during the indoor season, including the SEC Championship.
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.
Floréal’s 2018 indoor season capsule
In his sixth year at Kentucky, Floréal led the UK women’s team to a third-place finish at the SEC Championships, as well as a No. 3 national team ranking heading into the NCAA Championships. Kentucky had three event champions at the SEC Indoor Championships, including two champions who recorded the second-best all-time collegiate performances in winning their events (400 meters and pole vault)
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