University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Jacious Sears Tabbed USTFCCCA South Region Track Athlete of the Year
June 15, 2023 | Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Thursday afternoon that Lady Vol sprint star Jacious Sears was selected as the South Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year for the 2023 outdoor season.
The USTFCCCA South Region includes all Division I programs from the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Each of the nine regions — which are the same as those used during the cross country season — honored the top men's and women's track athletes, field athletes, head coaches and assistant coaches. Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.
Sears had a spectacular outdoor campaign for the Lady Vols, culminating with a team-high 11 points at the NCAA Championships last week in Austin, Texas. The junior sprinter placed third in the 100-meter (10.94w) and fourth in the in the 200-meter (22.04w), representing the best finish by a Lady Vol in both events since 2005.
The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, native was one of two athletes in the country to finish top four in both short sprints at nationals, and her wind-aided marks of 10.94 (+2.3) and 22.04 (+2.5) set at the NCAA meet rank No. 17 and No. 5 on the 2023 all-conditions world list.
The Lady Vol junior led off Tennessee's All-America showing in the 4x100-meter relay, combining with teammates Jonah Ross, Charisma Taylor and Nicole Sreenan for a time of 43.25 seconds to finish 10th overall and rank the group No. 2 in Lady Vol history.
Sears shined at her first career SEC Outdoor Championships, competing in four events scoring a team-high 20.5 points to win the SEC Commissioner's Trophy—awarded to the top overall scorer at the conference meet. She was victorious in the 100-meter dash final with a school record sprint of 10.96 seconds (+0.9) and took second in the 200-meter final with a lifetime-best wind-legal clocking of 22.45 seconds (+0.0).
In the relay events at the SEC Championships, Sears anchored the Lady Vols to bronze medal with a time of 3:29.98 and led off the 4x100-meter relay that finished fifth in 43.48 seconds.
Sears is the first Lady Vol to garner South Region Track Athlete of the Year honors since Felicia Brown was recognized in 2016. She also becomes the third female sprinter coached by Duane Ross to earn Region Athlete of the Year honors in the past five years, joining former North Carolina A&T athletes Cambrea Sturgis and Kayla White.
The Tennessee standout has run well below the qualifying standards for the USATF Outdoor Championships, set for July 6-9 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The 100-meter and 200-meter first rounds are set for Thursday, July 6, and Saturday, July 8, respectively.
The USTFCCCA South Region includes all Division I programs from the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Each of the nine regions — which are the same as those used during the cross country season — honored the top men's and women's track athletes, field athletes, head coaches and assistant coaches. Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.
Sears had a spectacular outdoor campaign for the Lady Vols, culminating with a team-high 11 points at the NCAA Championships last week in Austin, Texas. The junior sprinter placed third in the 100-meter (10.94w) and fourth in the in the 200-meter (22.04w), representing the best finish by a Lady Vol in both events since 2005.
The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, native was one of two athletes in the country to finish top four in both short sprints at nationals, and her wind-aided marks of 10.94 (+2.3) and 22.04 (+2.5) set at the NCAA meet rank No. 17 and No. 5 on the 2023 all-conditions world list.
The Lady Vol junior led off Tennessee's All-America showing in the 4x100-meter relay, combining with teammates Jonah Ross, Charisma Taylor and Nicole Sreenan for a time of 43.25 seconds to finish 10th overall and rank the group No. 2 in Lady Vol history.
Sears shined at her first career SEC Outdoor Championships, competing in four events scoring a team-high 20.5 points to win the SEC Commissioner's Trophy—awarded to the top overall scorer at the conference meet. She was victorious in the 100-meter dash final with a school record sprint of 10.96 seconds (+0.9) and took second in the 200-meter final with a lifetime-best wind-legal clocking of 22.45 seconds (+0.0).
In the relay events at the SEC Championships, Sears anchored the Lady Vols to bronze medal with a time of 3:29.98 and led off the 4x100-meter relay that finished fifth in 43.48 seconds.
Sears is the first Lady Vol to garner South Region Track Athlete of the Year honors since Felicia Brown was recognized in 2016. She also becomes the third female sprinter coached by Duane Ross to earn Region Athlete of the Year honors in the past five years, joining former North Carolina A&T athletes Cambrea Sturgis and Kayla White.
The Tennessee standout has run well below the qualifying standards for the USATF Outdoor Championships, set for July 6-9 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The 100-meter and 200-meter first rounds are set for Thursday, July 6, and Saturday, July 8, respectively.
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