FRISCO — UTSA director of track & field/cross country Aaron Fox and sophomore Richard Garrett Jr. were named Southland Conference Indoor Coach of the Year and Outstanding Field Performer, respectively, the league office announced on Thursday.
Fox collected Coach of the Year accolades for the sixth year in a row, which extended his Southland-record run of consecutive awards. He led the Roadrunners to a league-record-tying sixth straight championship, which matched Lamar's 26-year-old mark set from 1980-85. Not only did UTSA post a 42-point victory over runner-up UT Arlington, the league's most-lopsided margin 11 years, but the ninth-year mentor also coached a record-tying six conference champions last weekend. That pushed the program's all-time total to 56 and 32 of those have come during his tenure. The Birds finished the meet with 153 points, which was the second-highest total in the 32-year history of the event (Lamar/164 in 1983).
"The success we've experienced would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the student-athletes and assistant coaches," he said. "I'm extremely humbled and thankful that my peers have chosen me for this award the last six years."
Meanwhile, Garrett Jr. became the second Roadrunner in school history and first in nine years to win Outstanding Field Performer (Justin Youngblood/2002). The Garland native won the program's third shot put title with his third school record of the season. He put the implement 61-8 ½ (18.81m), which added an inch-and-a-half to his personal record, and Garrett Jr. currently stands 12th on the national leaderboard. The victory was his third in four outings this winter. Garrett Jr. finished the two-day meet with a total of 13 points, which was good for second on the squad, after placing sixth in the weight throw. He established a new personal best by nearly four feet with his heave of 56-6 ¾ (17.24m).
The NCAA Championships is the last meet remaining on the team's indoor ledger and Garrett Jr. will find out Monday evening if his mark will qualify him for the event that is scheduled for March 11-12 in College Station.
2011 Southland Conference Indoor Men's Track & Field Awards
· Athlete of the Year: Romain Martin, UT Arlington
· Outstanding Track Performer: Cordero Gray, UT Arlington
· Outstanding Field Performer: Richard Garrett Jr., UTSA
· Newcomer of the Year: Tom Wade, Lamar
· Freshman of the Year: Clayton Vaughn, UT Arlington
· Coach of the Year: Aaron Fox, UTSA
