Feb. 21, 2006
After breaking two meet records and tying for high-point honors in the men's division, UTA junior Jared Connuahgton was named the Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Male Athlete of the Year by the league's head coaches.
The junior from Charlottetown, Canada, finished with 18 points after winning the 200-meter dash and placing second in the 60-meter dash, establishing meet records in both events. His record in the 60 came in semifinal-action as he clocked a 6.68 to break the old mark of 6.73 by Andra Fifer of UTA in 2001. Connaughton slipped a little in the finals and his time of 6.85 was second to Northwestern State's Ravyn Hayward (6.80). He bounced back to win the 200 with a mark of 21.57, breaking the old record of 21.64 by Northwestern's J.D. Henry set last year.
He joins Henrik Skoog (1999), Elston Cawley (1997), Clinton Bufuku (1995), Terence Beach (194), Joel McCray (1993) and Joseph Sainah (1989-90) as previous Mav recipients of the honor.
UTA finished fourth in the men's competition and sixth in the women's division. Individually, the Mavericks had three male and three females win conference championships. Senior Shay Collett won the title in the pole vault after a jump-off height of 16-07.5 to defeat Matt Atkission of Sam Houston State. Quinchun Carey won the long jump competition and Connaughton claimed the 200 meters.
For the women, Ellen Garrison won the 60 meters with a time 7.61. Ivorita Taylor claimed the 800 meters and Lacey Moore vaulted 12-01.5 to win the pole vault.
UT-San Antonio's Ryanne Dupree was named the women's athlete of the year.
In addition to naming the athletes of the year, the SLC recognizes the top performers in field and running events.
Louisiana-Monroe's Rani Giladi is the men's Outstanding Field Events Performer while Sam Houston State's Roshunda Betts gets the women's award. Giladi, a sophomore from Degania Bet, Israel, finished second in the long (24-0.25) and triple (48-3.25) jumps for 16 points. Betts, a senior from Hughes Springs, Texas, also took second in the long (19-8.75) and triple (40-6.25) jumps and scored one point by placing eighth in the shot put (41-3). This marks the second year in a row Betts has won the women's honor.
Outstanding Running Event honors go to Northwestern's Henry and Stephen F. Austin's Ashley Monteau. Henry, a sophomore from Bunkie, La., tied Connaughton as high-point scorer by gaining six points for his third-place showing in the 200 (21.86), winning the 60-meter hurdles (7.93) and helping his 4x400-relay team to a second-place showing with a time of 3:17.32.
Monteau, a junior from Anahuac, Texas, won the 5,000-meter run in a time of 16:47.74 and placed second in the 3,000-meters with a mark of 9:51.10.
UTSA's Aaron Fox and SFA's Phil Olson have been voted coaches of the year by their peers after leading their teams to titles at the 2006 championships. Fox helped the UTSA men to their first-ever SLC indoor crown, finishing 6.67 points ahead of second-place SHSU. Olson picks up his second women's coach of the year award in as many years after leading SFA to their second consecutive team title, finishing just 1.33 points ahead of second-place SHSU.
