Kentucky Has Four USTFCCCA All-SE Region Awards
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky track and field was well represented within the Southeast Region in this year’s indoor awards announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Marie-Josée Ebwea-Bile Excel was named SE Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year and Daniel Roberts was named Men’s Runner of the Year.
Kris Grimes was named Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year and Tim Hall picked up Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
UK has had the Southeast Region women’s indoor field athlete of the year three seasons in a row (Sha’Keela Saunders – 2017, Olivia Gruver – 2018).
The Ebwea-Bile Excel 2019 indoor file
The UK senior was Southeastern Conference silver medalist in the triple jump, is ranked second in the nation and first in the southeast in the triple jump after a 45’2.5″/13.78m mark that earned her USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honors. One of just two triple jumpers in the nation to have passed 45-feet this season.
The Roberts 2019 indoor file
The hurdler has been on a meteoric rise in his junior season. He claimed SEC 60H silver in 7.48, which made him the fourth fastest collegian ever (sixth fastest time). That performance is fastest non-race-winning time in collegiate history. Roberts’ time would’ve broken his former training partner and the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist Omar McLeod’s previous SEC Championships record. The time is No. 2 in the world this year. He placed fourth in the SEC 60m running 6.65. He has a 60m season best of 6.63. He ran on UK’s SEC sixth-place 4x400m relay to earn a total of 13.75 points at the conference championships.
The Grimes 2019 indoor file
In his first season in Lexington, Grimes coached Marie- Josée Ebwea-Excel to the SEC silver in the triple jump, and the nation’s No. 2 mark (one of two athletes past 45 feet this season) 45’2.5″/13.78m, which earned her USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week honors earlier this year. Ellen Ekholm claimed the SEC bronze in the high jump, and ranks sixth nationally from a school-record clearance 6’0″/1.83m. Carly Hinkle was sixth at SECs in the high jump with a PB clearance.
The Hall 2019 indoor file
Hall, who returned to the UK staff ahead of the 2018-19 season earned the honor just as he did for the 2014 indoor season (SE women’s assistant of the year). He coached Daniel Roberts to one of the most historic short hurdles seasons in collegiate history. The junior shattered his PBs in both the 60m hurdles and 60m dash as he scored a combined 13 points in those two events at SECs. Roberts took SEC 60m hurdles silver in 7.48, a time that made him the fourth fastest collegian ever in the event (sixth fastest time). UK’s 4x400m relay placed sixth at SECs scoring for the first time in that event in at least seven years. Tai Brown broke the UK freshman record in the 60m hurdles as well.
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