Johnson Named ACC Women’s Coach of the Year

April 24, 2012

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson Director of Track & Field Lawrence Johnson has been named the ACC Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year for a third straight season, the conference office announced Tuesday. For Johnson, who is in his fourth season in charge of the combined men’s and women’s program at Clemson, it is the sixth consecutive honor he has received from the ACC for women’s track & field. He has claimed every award from the ACC each of the past three track & field seasons between indoor and outdoor competition.

Johnson coached the women’s team to its sixth straight ACC championship. The Tigers, who jumped to No. 1 in the national rankings Tuesday, completed an indoor/outdoor sweep for the third consecutive season on Saturday with an 85-point victory over runner-up Virginia. The margin of victory was the largest in ACC women’s track & field since the 1994 meet.

He coached seven individual champions and both relays to victory as well. Two of his student-athletes, April Sinkler (field events) and Marlena Wesh (track events), were recipients of the ACC’s Most Valuable Performer awards. Wesh and Alyssa Kulik both established ACC meet and overall Clemson records over the weekend, Wesh in the 400 dash and Kulik in the 3000-meter steeplechase. The women’s team had a total of 17 All-ACC performances.