Hardee, Thornton win NCAA South Central Region awards
METAIRIE, La. -- University of Texas senior All-American Trey Hardee (Birmingham, Ala.) and head coach Bubba Thornton earned South Central region accolades from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) Thursday after turning in outstanding 2006 indoor track and field campaigns. Hardee was honored as the NCAA South Central Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year after breaking the NCAA heptathlon record previously held by his teammate, junior Donovan Kilmartin (Eagle, Idaho). Hardee tallied 6,208 points in the heptathlon at the New Mexico Multi-Events Meet in January, topping the NCAA automatic-qualifying mark by nearly 600 points. The 2005 NCAA decathlon champion, Hardee is the top seed in the heptathlon at this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships. Thornton was selected as the NCAA South Central Region Men's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year after leading the Longhorns to a No. 1 ranking and their first Big 12 indoor title since 1999. Thornton also was recently named the Big 12 Men's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, as the Longhorns claimed individual Big 12 titles in the mile, heptathlon and the high jump, as well as the conference crown in the distance-medley relay. Thornton's Longhorns continue to hold the No. 1 spot in the latest USTFCCCA team rankings heading into the NCAA Indoor Championships.
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