Tennessee snagged both freshman honors as Jeneba Tarmoh was named Female Freshman Runner of the Year and Annie Alexander was named Female Freshman Field Athlete of the Year. On the men's side, Arkansas' Chris Bilbrew was crowned Freshman Runner of the Year, while Kentucky's Derrick Locke was named Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.
Baptiste helped lead the top-ranked Lady Tigers to their first SEC Indoor title since 1999 with her performance at the conference meet. Baptiste won the SEC title in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.13 and set a new school record and new meet record for the SEC Indoor Championships. She currently boasts the No. 1 60-meter time in the NCAA and the No. 2 time in the world this season. The senior from Plymouth, Scarborough, Trinidad also holds the sixth-fastest time in the 200-meter dash in the NCAA with a time of 23.07.
Kosgei won the SEC Comissioner's Trophy as the top individual point scorer at the SEC Indoor Championships, as he was the only male scorer to win two conference titles at the meet. He is the first LSU athlete to win the Trophy since 2000 and became the first Tiger to win the SEC Indoor title in the 3,000 meters with a time of 7:57.76. The sophomore broke the four-minute barrier in the mile as he won the event with a time of 3:59.85. The Eldoret, Kenya native is the first LSU athlete to win the SEC Indoor title in the mile since 1994 and is only the second Tiger to break four minutes in the event.
Reese scored 31 points at the SEC Championships to claim the Commissioner's Trophy en route to posting the No. 1 mark in the NCAA and the American Collegiate Record in the long jump with 22-06.50. She also is currently No. 2 in the NCAA in the high jump after recording a mark of 6-02.00 and tied the SEC record. The junior from Gulf Port, Miss. is also No. 12 in the NCAA in the 60-meter dash with 7.29 and No. 18 in the triple jump with a record of 42-8.75.
Addy won his consecutive heptathlon SEC title with an NCAA-automatic qualifying score of 5,836 that ranks third in the NCAA and third on Tennessee's all-time performance list for the event. The senior tied the world record in the heptathlon 60 hurdles with his 7.74 time during the conference championship heptathlon and his score ranks ninth all-time among American collegians in the event. The Norcross, Ga. native finished third in the 60 hurdles at the SEC Indoor Championships, one day after winning the heptathlon.
Tarmoh, a sprinter from San Jose, Calif., was a three-event scorer for Tennessee at the SEC Indoor Championships contributing points in the 60m, 200, and 4X400 relay. She was the only freshman to make the SEC finals in either the 60 or 200 and score in both. She finished fourth in the 200 with a time of 23.39, which ranks her 10th on the world list and fourth among Americans in 2008. Tarmoh is also the hisghest ranking freshman sprinter in the SEC this season, standing fourth overall in the 200, seventh in the 60 and third in the 4X400 relay. Nationally, she is ninth in the 200, 13th in the 60 and fifth with UT's 4X400. She is the No. 2 freshman nationally in the 60 and 200.
Arkansas' Bilbrew claimed Freshman Runner of the Year honors as he made an immediate impact on the Razorback's DMR this season. Running the 800-meter leg, he was a member of the three DMR teams that clocked NCAA provisional-qualifying marks. He was also a member of the SEC Champion DMR. The Phenix City, Ala. was a member of the title-winning 4X800-meter relay at Millrose Games and at the Tyson Invitational, he finished fourth in the invitational 800 meters with an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 1:50.27. He was the only freshman to compete in a race dominated by professionals.
Tennessee's Alexander claimed the Freshman Field Athlete of the Year as she won the SEC Indoor title in the shot put with a throw of 57-2. she was the only freshman to win an SEC individual title indoors in any event this season. Her SEC-clinching throw was the third-longest winning mark in women's conference indoor shot put history, and broke a UT record that had stood since 1982. The Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago native is the first Lady Vol since 1995 to win the even indoors and only the third ever. Her NCAA automatic mark ranks her No. 3 in the nation in the shot.
Locke finished third in the long jump at the SEC Championships with a mark of 25-05.25. He holds the Kentucky freshman record in the long jump and currently has the 13th best mark in the NCAA.
2008 SEC Indoor Track and Field Awards
Female Runner of the Year: Kelly Baptiste, LSU
Male Runner of the Year: John Kosgei, LSU
Female Field Athlete of the Year: Brittany Reese, Ole Miss
Male Field Athlete of the Year: Jangy Addy, Tennessee
Female Freshman Runner of the Year: Jeneba Tarmoh, Tennessee
Male Freshman Runner of the Year: Chris Bilbrew, Arkansas
Female Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Annie Alexander, Tennessee
Male Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Derrick Locke, Kentucky
Female Coach of the Year: Dennis Shaver, LSU
Male Coach of the Year: John McDonnell, Arkansas
2008 SEC Indoor Track All-SEC Teams
Men's First Team Tyson David, Alabama Daniel LaCava, Arkansas Chris Bilbrew, Arkansas Alex McClary, Arkansas Micky Corbin, Arkansas Alain Bailey, Arkansas Nkosinza Balumbu, Arkansas Ty Akins, Auburn Jacob Dunkleberger, Auburn Eugene Martin, Florida Beau Burroughs, Florida Justin Gaymon, Georiga Richard Thompson, LSU John Kosegi, LSU Elkana Kosgei, LSU Keith Hinnant, South Carolina Quentin Moore, South Carolina Jussi Heikkila, South Carolina Aaron Anderson, South Carolina Rubin Williams, Tennessee Michael Hogue, Tennessee Jangy Addy, Tennessee
Men's Second Team Tyler Hill, Arkansas James Strang, Arkansas Daniel Quinn, Arkansas Andy McClary, Arkansas Calvin Smith, Florida Mike Morrison, Florida Ryley Miller, Georgia Ross Ridgewell, Georgia Kris Ward, Georgia Ian Burrell, Georgia Daniel Averso, Georgia Rashaud Scott, Kentucky Trindon Holliday, LSU Jamaal James, LSU Armanti Hayes, LSU Reginald Dardar, LSU Justin Gunn, Ole Miss Jason Richardson, South Carolina Evander Wells, Tennessee Joseph Berry, Tennessee
Women's First Team Trish Bartholomew, Alabama Entienne Chaplin, Arkansas Denise Bargiachi, Arkansas Katie Stripling, Arkansas Shawneise Williams, Florida Latavia Thomas, LSU Kelly-Ann Baptiste, LSU Jessica Ohanaja, LSU Nickiesha Wilson, LSU Brooklynn Morris, LSU Deonna Lawrence, LSU Andrea Linton, LSU Brittney Reese, Ole Miss Annie Alexander, Tennessee Sarah Bowman, Tennessee Courtney Champion, Tennessee Brittany Sheffey, Tennessee Kimarra McDonald, Tennessee Phoebe Wright, Tennessee
Women's Second Team Betty Rotich, Alabama Chelsea Taylor, Alabama Tara Diebold, Arkansas Catherine White, Arkansas Lorain McKenzie, Florida Shara Proctor, Florida Mariam Kevkhishvili, Florida Natalie Picchetti, Georgia Ashley Trimble, Kentucky Jessica Ortman, Kentucky Bianca Tyson, Kentucky Lavera Morris, Kentucky Jenna Ortman, Kentucky Samantha Henry, LSU Marissa Harris, Mississippi State Brandi Cross, South Carolina Krystal Cantey, South Carolina Faraign Giles, South Carolina Porche Byrd, South Carolina Shanna Dickenson, Tennessee