South Central Region coaching honors for Harter, Johnson
NEW ORLEANS, La. – A pair of Arkansas coaches were honored with South Central Region accolades from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Thursday. Razorback women’s head coach Lance Harter was named Coach of the Year while associate head coach Chris Johnson was selected Assistant Coach of the Year.
Ranked No. 1 this entire indoor season, the Razorbacks produced 141 points to win the SEC Indoor championship by 60 points over a field of nationally ranked programs. Arkansas totaled 11 medals in the meet – two gold, four silver and five bronze – while scoring in 13-of-17 events.
The Razorbacks totaled 25 entries for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which Arkansas will host next week from March 11-13 in the Randal Tyson Track Center.
Harter’s distance crew supplied 62 points and included a gold medalist in Krissy Gear (Mile) along with a pair of silver medals from Katie Izzo (3,000 & 5,000) and two bronze medals for Lauren Gregory (Mile & 3,000).
In winning a seventh consecutive SEC Indoor team title, it marked the 11th indoor conference championship for Harter with the Razorbacks. Overall, Arkansas has claimed 40 SEC championships – cross country (21), indoor (11), and outdoor (8) – while winning 19 of the last 20 SEC Championships contested in those three seasons.
A total of 68 points were supplied by Johnson’s group of sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers. A school record of 3:28.50 by the 4×400 relay quartet of Morgan Burks-Magee, Rosey Effiong, Shafiqua Maloney, and Kethlin Campbell also broke the SEC Indoor meet record (3:29.06) set by LSU in 2005 and made Arkansas the sixth fastest school on the all-time collegiate list.
Additional medalist among Johnson’s group included silver medals for Jada Baylark (60) and Daszay Freeman (60 hurdles) along with bronze medals for Burks-Magee (400), Maloney (800), and G’Auna Edwards (Pentathlon).
Women’s South Central Region honors
Coach of the Year | Lance Harter
Assistant Coach of the Year | Chris Johnson
Track Athlete of the Year | Athing Mu, Texas A&M
Field Athlete of the Year | Tyra Gittens, Texas A&M