NEW ORLEANS - The 2019 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field specialty awards, as voted on by the league’s head coaches, were announced on Thursday.
On the women’s side, Texas State senior, Tramesha Hardy, was named the Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer for the third-straight year, and South Alabama's junior Emilie Berge was named the Women's Most Outstanding Field Performer. Louisiana freshman, Reagann Leleux, was named the Women's Freshman of the Year and Texas State junior, Leslie Romero, was named the Women's Newcomer of the Year.
Hardy, the top women’s scorer with 30 points, was the champion in three events in 2019 (200m, 400m and 4x400m relay). She also finished as the runner-up in the 60m. Hardy’s win in the 200-meters gave the senior four consecutive 200-meter titles at the indoor championships, along with three consecutive 400-meter titles.
USA's Berge won the women’s pentathlon with a two-day total of 4,079 points, becoming the first Sun Belt student-athlete to break the 4,000-point barrier in the indoor pentathlon. Berge also claimed the title in the women's long jump while finishing as the runner-up in the women's high jump.
Leleux was the individual champion in the women's pole vault, claiming a title her sister (Morgann) won during the 2016 outdoor championship. Leleux is the current Ragin' Cajun indoor record holder in the event (12'8.25").
Texas State's Romero claimed a distance double at the 2019 indoor championships - winning both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races. Her time in the 3,000-meters (9:40.57) topped her own school record that she set earlier this year. She broke another school record in the 5,000-meters in dominating fashion, clocking 17:06.00, to earn her second title of the championships.
Texas State's Jody Stewart was named Women's Indoor Track & Field Head Coach of the Year following the Bobcats' fourth indoor title in the last five seasons.
On the men's side, UTA senior Erik Martinsson was named the Men's Most Outstanding Track Performer and Texas State's Ben Collerton was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer. Louisiana's Hannes Burger was named the Men's Freshman of the Year and Arkansas State's Jermie Walker picked up the Men's Newcomer of the Year award.
UTA’s Martinsson was a triple-double winner at the indoor championships, claiming the 400- and 800-meter titles before running on the winning 4x400-meter relay to close out the championship. Martinsson is the third UTA MOP for men's track since 2015.
Collerton won his second consecutive title in the men's heptathlon and rewrote both the Sun Belt and Texas State record book by accumulating 5,379 points. The mark breaks his own record of 5,115 points set a year ago. He led wire-to-wire on day two to reset the seven-year old Sun Belt record.
Burger claimed both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races in his Sun Belt indoor debut. His time in the 5,000-meters (14:42.68) reset the Ragin' Cajun record in the event. He was also the Men's Top Meet Scorer as he earned 23 points during the two-day championship. Burger finished sixth in the men's mile prior to his record setter in the 5,000-meters.
A-State's Walker was the highest finishing freshman in the sprints - capturing second- and third-place finishes in the 400- and 200-meters, respectively. His time in the 200-meters (21.48) was the third fastest time in A-State history and his 47.78 in the 400-meters put him at No. 7 all-time in ASU history. Walker also ran on the third-place finishing 4x400-meter relay team.
UTA's John Sauerhage was named Men's Indoor Track & Field Head Coach of the Year after leading the Mavericks to their third indoor title since joining the Sun Belt.
Men’s Track Most Outstanding Performer
Erik Martinsson, UTA
Men’s Field Most Outstanding Performer
Ben Collerton, Texas State
Men’s Freshman of the Year
Hannes Burger, Louisiana
Men’s Newcomer of the Year
Jermie Walker, Arkansas State
Men’s Coach of the Year
John Sauerhage, UTA
Women’s Track Most Outstanding Performer
Tramesha Hardy, Texas State
Women’s Field Most Outstanding Performer
Emilie Berge, South Alabama
Women’s Freshman of the Year
Reagann Leleux, Louisiana
Women’s Newcomer of the Year
Leslie Romero, Texas State
Women’s Coach of the Year
Jody Stewart, Texas State
All-Sun Belt Teams
MEN’S
First Team
Jordan Dale, Appalachian State
Elliott Graves, Appalachian State
Tristian Shaver, Appalachian State
Carter Shell, Arkansas State
Keshawn Andrews, Little Rock
Emilio Medina, Little Rock
Charles Okeze, Little Rock
Hannes Burger, Louisiana
Dominique Williams, Louisiana
Christian Ellis, South Alabama
Ben Collerton, Texas State
T'Mond Johnson, Texas State
Grayson Birka, UTA
Connor Butterfield, UTA
Jared Lautenslager, UTA
Garrett Moore, UTA
Erik Martinsson, UTA
D'Undre Mitchell, UTA
Lucas Van Klaveren, UTA
Brenden Wallace, UTA
Second Team
Michael Carr, Arkansas State
Eron Carter, Arkansas State
Hayden Hampton, Arkansas State
Heinrich Herbst, Arkansas State
Frank Massey, Arkansas State
Jermie Walker, Arkansas State
Jalen Boyd, South Alabama
Javen Jackson, South Alabama
Xavier Rogers, South Alabama
Cameron Stewart, South Alabama
Ronnie Briscoe Jr., Texas State
Brandon Busby, Texas State
Ian Carter, Texas State
Kyle Denomme, Texas State
Noah Herring, Texas State
Cade Michael, Texas State
Pedro Osorio Lopez, Texas State
Justin Domangue, UTA
Victor Fincher, UTA
Deontre Haynes, UTA
Third Team
Gable Dershem, Appalachian State
K'Den Fortune-Johnson, Arkansas State
Amari James, Arkansas State
Darrian Lockett, Arkansas State
Tiaan Steenkamp, Arkansas State
Key Alfred, Louisiana
Kyle Baudoin, Louisiana
John Joseph, Louisiana
Jonathan Kimutai, Louisiana
Stanley Limoh, Louisiana
Graham Sokol, Louisiana
Kemondrick Walter, Louisiana
Graham Collins, South Alabama
Sean Collins, South Alabama
Noah Mumme, South Alabama
Chris Taylor, South Alabama
Brandon Busby, Texas State
Joseph Meade, Texas State
Eric Hawkins, ULM
Sam Healy, ULM
WOMEN’S
First Team
Emma Nwofor, Arkansas State
Caitland Smith, Arkansas State
Angela Alonso, Georgia State
Reagann Leleux, Louisiana
Shalei Matthews, Louisiana
Emilie Berge, South Alabama
Autavia Fluker, South Alabama
Tramesha Hardy, Texas State
Leslie Romero, Texas State
Tiarra Bailey, Troy
Gemma Finch, Troy
Tanner Guest, Troy
Madison Kennedy, Troy
Precious Ogba, Troy
Brianna Sam, ULM
Alexus Henry, UTA
Second Team
Hana Ratcliffe, Appalachian State
Evangelynn Harris, Arkansas State
Lotte Meyberg, Georgia State
Shanieke Watson, Little Rock
Michaela Preachuk, South Alabama
Javlyn Cameron, Texas State
Sydney Cole, Texas State
Dawnshae Evans, Texas State
Naomi Ferdinand, Texas State
Sadi Giles, Texas State
Breonna Hall, Texas State
Tina Sierra, Texas State
Kylah Smith, Texas State
Abigail Kelly-Salo, UTA
Juleen Lewis, UTA
Third Team
Izzy Evely, Appalachian State
Kylee Frady, Appalachian State
Phylissa Greeley, Appalachian State
Araybian Lilly, Appalachian State
Ashley Muschiatti, Appalachian State
Elisa Sargent, Appalachian State
Osereme Erewele, Arkansas State
Nuria Ramirez, Georgia State
Alexus Shaw, Georgia State
Kimberly Rushford, Louisiana
Juliette Smith, Louisiana
Tina Douglas, Texas State
Devina Schneider, Texas State
Samara Nelson, Troy
Micaiah Dendy, ULM
Mikayla Koester, UTA
Brianna McClure, UTA
Tatyana Terrell, UTA
Vanessa Ugorji, UTA