Marshevet Hooker, Walker collect NCAA South Central Region honors
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas junior Marshevet Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) and senior Melaine Walker (Kingston, Jamaica) each garnered NCAA regional accolades Thursday from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Hooker was selected as the NCAA South Central Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year, while Walker, a first-time regional honoree, was named as the NCAA South Central Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year. Hooker, the 2006 Big 12 long jump champion, holds the nation's top mark in the long jump at 21-11¾. The 2005 NCAA outdoor long jump runner-up, Hooker will look to pick up her first NCAA outdoor high jump title next week at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Hooker captured her first national long jump title earlier this year when she claimed the event at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. Walker earns regional accolades by way of her sterling performances in the hurdles and relays. She enters the NCAA Championships as the third seed in the 100-meter hurdles (12.77w) and the second seed in the 400-meter hurdles (54.87). Walker also runs the third leg of Texas' top-ranked 4x100-meter relay and the anchor leg of the Longhorns' fifth-ranked 4x400-meter relay. She claimed Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Regional titles in the 400-meter hurdles and also helped the 4x100-meter relay to victory at those same two meets.
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