March 19, 2013
ATHENS, Ga. --- Four members of Georgia’s track and field teams earned Southeastern Conference weekly awards following the home opener at the Georgia Relays in Athens over the weekend. Junior Johnathan Smith was named the SEC Men’s Runner of the Week; Ashinia Miller was named the SEC Field Athlete of the Week; sophomore Morgann Leleux was named the SEC Co-Women’s Field Athlete of the Week; and Briana Vaughn was named the SEC Women’s Freshman of the Week. Smith, a native of Apple Valley, Calif., ran his first outdoor meet for the Bulldogs and won the 100-meter dash with a career-best time of 10.20. This time leads the nation and is No. 4 on the Georgia record books with the fastest finish since 1994. Smith currently holds the top American time in the 100 and is No. 2 on the current IAAF world list. Smith also ran a leg on the Bulldog 4x100 relay team that clocked the ninth-fastest time (40.98) in the East Region and the second fastest in the SEC. The three-time Division III All-American also led the Bulldog 4x200 relay team to a victory with a 1:24.21 and ran a leg in the “Gainey Special” (100-100-200-400) that took second with a 1:31.10. Miller, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, opened his outdoor collegiate career by grabbing the top collegiate finish (second overall) in the shot put with a personal best mark of 62 feet, 6 inches on his sixth and final attempt. His throw currently ranks second in the nation and fifth on Georgia’s all-time top-10 list. Only 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and former Bulldog All-American Reese Hoffa (68-1) topped Miller in the competition. Miller returned in the discus to finish second with a mark of 178-4. Leleux, a native of New Iberia, La., opened up her sophomore campaign by winning the pole vault at the Georgia Relays for the second consecutive year with a nation-leading mark of 14-1.25. Returning from a detached retina during the indoor season and the surgery needed to repair her injury, Leleux passed on the first six heights before clearing 13-7.25 and 14-1.25 on her first and second attempts. She has the top mark for an American this year and is No. 5 on the current IAAF world list. Vaughn, a native of Decatur, Ga., recorded her second collegiate victory after winning the 100 in a personal-best time of 11.37, which came in her first collegiate outdoor meet. She currently ranks No. 2 in the nation, is tied for No. 4 in school history and is the No. 2 competitor on the current IAAF world list behind Australia’s Melissa Breen. Vaughn also ran a leg on the winning “Gainey Special” (100-100-200-400) as the foursome clocked a time of 1:42.52. In addition, she was part of the Lady Bulldog squad that took second in the 4x200 relay at the Georgia Relays. The Bulldogs return to action at the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 22-23. |
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