University of Tennessee Athletics
Gatlin and Webb Take SEC Honors
July 27, 2001 | Men's Track
July 27, 2001
University of Tennessee sprinter Justin Gatlin and head men's track coach Bill Webb both took home awards for track from the Southeastern Conference. Gatlin was named the Conference Male Athlete of the Year for outdoor track, while Webb was named the Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year.
Gatlin, a freshman from Pensacola, Fla., was the high scorer at the NCAA Championships with 22 points. He won the 100 and 200 meters, as well as being part of the second-place 4x100 meter relay team. When Gatlin won the 100 meters at the NCAA Championships, he set a UT freshman record with a time of 10.08.
Gatlin also won the 200 meters and finished second in the 100 meters at the SEC Championships. He led the Vols at the Championships, as he was the high scorer with 25.5 points. Gatlin finished first in the 200 meters (20.32), second in the 100 meters (10.26), fourth in the 110 meter hurdles (13.88) and earned 2.5 points for being part of the winning 4x100 meter relay team.
Gatlin's being named the SEC Male Track Athlete of the Year marks the first time a freshman has received this honor. He was also named the 2001 SEC Freshman Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
For the second time in his SEC head coaching career, Bill Webb has received the honor of being the SEC Men's Track Coach of the Year. Webb, a native of Greenbelt, Md., last received this award in 1996. He claimed this award after leading the Vols to SEC and NCAA Championships. He has been head coach of the Vols since 1995. The High Point (N.C.) University graduate was an assistant coach at UT from 1986-1995. He has also been head coach at Cal State-Northridge and West Georgia College.
