Bryant, Johnson Garner USTFCCCA Regional Honors

March 5, 2012

CLEMSON, SC – Freshman sprinter Dezerea Bryant was named Women’s Track Athlete-of-the-Year, while Director of Track & Field Lawrence Johnson earned his third straight Women’s Indoor Coach-of-the-Year honor for the Southeast Region, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Monday.

Bryant was also the recipient of the ACC’s Most Valuable Track Performer award following an inspiring performance at the conference championship meet in Boston, MA two weeks back. She won the 60-meter dash, and then won the 200 an hour later to claim a clean sweep of the short sprints. She ranks second on the school’s all-time indoor performance list in both events, and is nearly a lock to be announced an at-large qualifier in both for the NCAA Championships later this evening.

Johnson won the Women’s Indoor Coach-of-the-Year honor in the region for the third consecutive season. He led the Tigers to their third straight ACC indoor team championship, and fifth consecutive title overall. It is the longest streak by any ACC women’s track & field program since North Carolina early last decade. His program was responsible for winning seven of a possible 17 events at the ACC Indoor Championships two weeks ago.