Texas Tech University Athletics
Adkins, Robinson And Thomas Earn USTFCCCA Regional Awards
March 04, 2016 | Track and Field
Bradley Adkins' award marks back-to-back years a Red Raider has taken home the Men's Field Athlete of the Year.
March 4, 2016
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech track & field teams picked up three U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) regional honors, the league announced today.
Bradley Adkins earned Men's Field Athlete of the Year, while Calvin Robinson (Men's) and James Thomas (Women's) were named Assistant Coaches of the Year in the Mountain region.
Texas Tech Adds Two Big 12 Individual Titles on Saturday - https://t.co/nYhJS8hmwL #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/QawMTAlJW8
- TTU Track & Field/XC (@TTU_TF_XC) February 28, 2016
"This is a great honor coming from the USTFCCCA, but it's an even greater acknowledgement to our athletes at Texas Tech," Thomas said. "Our coaching peers vote for the award, but I'm extremely fortunate to coach a group of young women who provide something for them to vote for."
Adkins' award marks back-to-back years a Red Raider has taken home the Men's Field Athlete of the Year honor in the Mountain region. It's Thomas' fifth honor in his four years at Texas Tech and Robinson's second in his coaching career.
"I feel extremely blessed to receive this award from the USTFCCCA," Robinson said. "It speaks volumes to the type of program and kids we have here at Texas Tech. Coach Wes Kittley and this men's sprint group had an eventful summer, but they trusted and bought into this system and they are the ones who deserve this award. It's a great time to be a Red Raider."
Mountain Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year - Bradley Adkins
Adkins, a senior from Idalou, Texas, leads the NCAA, ranks second in the USA and is 18th in the world in the men's high jump this season. Improving in each of his first four meets, Adkins took over the NCAA lead after clearing 2.29m/7-6 on his first attempt at the Tyson Invitational, tying the school record he helped set the year before in the same venue. He's finished top three in every meet this season, placing third at the Big 12 Championships. Adkins will compete at 7:55 p.m. on Friday, March 11, at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
Mountain Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year - Calvin Robinson
In his first season coaching the men's sprinters at Texas Tech, Robinson coached Chris Caldwell to a Big 12 Championship in the 60-meter hurdles and qualified three events for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Along with Caldwell, Kyle Collins (400 meters) and the 4x400 relay will compete for national titles in Birmingham. Collins is the No. 12 quarter-miler in the NCAA with a time of 46.24, the fourth-fastest mark in school history. Robinson also coached two others to sub-47 times this season in the 400-meter dash in Joseph Richards III (46.39) and Steven Champlin (46.88). Collins, Richards & Champlin join C.J. Jones to make up the second-fastest 4x400 relay team in school history and fifth-ranked team this season in the NCAA at 3:04.98.
Mountain Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year - James Thomas
Thomas, in his fourth year coaching the jumpers and combined event athletes at Texas Tech, had two win Big 12 titles in Viershanie Latham (triple jump) and Shanice Stewart (pentathlon). Stewart, along with Natalie Thompson and Kaylee Hinton, produced the first 1-2-3 finish by any school in the pentathlon at the Big 12 Championships. His group accounted for 62 of Tech's women's team points at the conference meet. Latham broke the school record in the triple jump in three consecutive weeks and recorded the No. 2 mark at Big 12's. She sits at No. 8 in the NCAA this season with a leap of 13.31m/43-8 and will compete at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
