LSU Gold

Laird, Marshall, and Lane Collect USTFCCCA Honors

by Aaron Hyder | Assistant Communications Director
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Laird, Marshall, and Lane Collect USTFCCCA Honors

Baton Rouge, La. Terrance Laird (Men’s Track Athlete of the Year), Tonea Marshall (Women’s Track Athlete of the Year) and Todd Lane (Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year) of the LSU track and field program collected awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in the South Central region for the indoor season on Friday morning.

Laird becomes the second LSU runner to win this award for indoors joining the likes of all-time great Xavier Carter in 2006. Laird has been nothing less than superb this winter for the Tigers. He ran a time of 20.52 last weekend at the SEC Championships to win the gold medal in the 200 meters and he has run no slower than 20.8 this season in the event. The junior from Coatesville, Pa., is ranked No. 1 in the 200 meter dash headed into the NCAA Championships with his NCAA and world leading time of 20.43 seconds that he ran at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 14. He ran on the second leg of LSU’s 4×400 meter relay squad that garnered bronze at the SEC meet with a season best time of 3:06.24.

Marshall becomes the fifth LSU woman to win this award – Mikiah Brisco (2018), Samantha Henry (2009), Kelly Ann Baptiste (2008), and Jessica Ohanaja (2007) were LSU’s previous winners. Marshall just won her first indoor SEC title last weekend with a meet record time of 7.89 seconds in the 60 meter hurdles. The senior from Arlington, Texas, became the third-fastest hurdler in NCAA history on January 18 with her time of 7.86 seconds at the Corky Classic. Her three fastest times of the year – 7.86, 7.89, 7.89 – made her only the second woman in NCAA history to have three performances of 7.90 seconds or faster in the 60 meter hurdles.

Lane was named the USTFCCCA’s South Central Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year after his jumpers scored 22 of LSU’s 88 points at the SEC meet. JuVaughn Harrison won his second consecutive SEC indoor title under the tutelage of Lane with a clearance of 7′ 5″ (2.26 meters) at the SEC meet. Harrison is ranked No. 2 the long jump this season nationally with a personal best of 26′ 7.25″ (8.11 meters), and he owns the third-best high jump clearance in the nation this season with a mark of 7′ 5.75″ (2.28 meters); he registered both of those marks at the Tyson Invitational (Feb. 14-15).

The LSU track and field team, both women’s and men’s squad ranked No. 1 nationally, will head to the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 13-14) next week in Albuquerque, N.M.