LSU Gold

Men’s Track & Field Sweeps National Awards

Baton Rouge, La.   –  The 2021 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released outdoor awards on Tuesday afternoon and the LSU track and field program had four winners.

by Aaron Hyder | Assistant Communications Director
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Men’s Track & Field Sweeps National Awards

Baton Rouge, La.   –  The 2021 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released outdoor awards on Tuesday afternoon and the LSU track and field program had four winners. JuVaughn Harrison and Terrance Laird were named the national athletes of the year in their disciplines, while head coach Dennis Shaver and assistant coach Todd Lane were winners of coaching awards.

Harrison was named the Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, while Laird took home the Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. Shaver was named the Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year for the first time in his career, and Lane brought home the Men’s Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year for the first time in his career as well.

Harrison capped his 2021 season last week with two more national titles to bring his career total to six for his LSU career. Harrison competed nine times during the outdoor season and came away as the victor in eight of those events. His 20 points totaled at the NCAA outdoor championship helped lead LSU to its fifth men’s outdoor national title in program history just four days ago.

Harrison jumped high and he jumped far this season. He won the national titles at the 2021 NCAA outdoor meet with a leap of 27′ 1.75″ (8.27 meters) in the long jump and a clearance of 7′ 7.75″ (2.33 meters) in the high jump. Harrison’s six national titles ties him for the third most accrued in a career at LSU alongside Walter Davis.

Arguably his most scintillating performance of his season came in the high jump at the SEC Championships. Harrison cleared seven straight bars with a final height of 7′ 8.75″ (2.36 meters) to win the SEC title and become the second highest jumper in collegiate history.

His best long jump of the outdoor season, a leap of 27′ 8.25″ (8.44 meters), came at the LSU Alumni Gold meet on April 24 to move him into the No. 6 slot on the all-time collegiate list in the event.

Harrison wins this award for the second straight time as he also won it in 2019 after the outdoor season. He’s the only male field athlete from LSU to win this award outdoors.

Laird ended his 2021 season with a bang as he was the High Point Scorer of the NCAA Championships for the LSU men with 20.5 points accrued; he scored 20.5 of LSU’s 84 points en route to the national title. He won the 100 meters (10.05 seconds), anchored the 4×100 meter relay (38.48) to gold, and took second in the 200 meters (19.94 seconds).

Laird went 6-1 this year in individual races and became the third fastest collegiate performer in history over the distance of 200 meters on March 27 with his time of 19.81 seconds at the Texas Relays. His also ran a meet record of 19.82 seconds at the SEC Championships to set the meet record in the event and clock the fourth fastest time overall in collegiate history.

His performance at the SEC Championships put competitors on note as he swept the sprint triple by winning the 100 meters (9.80w), 200 meters (19.82), and anchoring the LSU 4×100 meter relay to gold with a readout of 38.87. Laird also anchored the 4×100 meter relay squad to six victories this season when facing collegiate competition.

Laird becomes LSU’s third winner of this award joining the likes of Richard Thompson (2008) and Xavier Carter (2006).

Shaver led the LSU men to an absolutely dominant performance at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships. His squad racked up six event titles, the second most ever in NCAA history, en route to scoring 84 points and claiming a 31 point victory, the largest margin by a victor since 1994.

Lane had three athletes advance to a total of four events at the NCAA outdoor meet and they scored a total of 27 points. You can read all about the exploits of Harrison above, who trains under Lane. Sean Dixon-Bodie, a true freshman, registered a personal best mark of 54′ 6″ (16.61 meters) to place fourth in the triple jump at his first career NCAA outdoor meet, and senior Rayvon Grey tacked on two points in the long jump with a leap of 25′ 6.25″ (7.78 meters).

Harrison’s 2021 Outdoor Full Results

NCAA Championships – Long Jump – 1st – 27′ 1.25″ (8.27m)

NCAA Championships – High Jump – 1st – 7′ 7.75″ (2.33m)

NCAA Prelims – Long Jump – 1st – 26′ 8.50″ (8.14m)

NCAA Prelims – High Jump – 1st – 7′ 2.25″ (2.19m)

SECs – Long Jump – 2nd – 27′ 0.50″ (8.24m)

SECs – High Jump – 1st – 7′ 8.75″ (2.36m)

LSU Invitational – High Jump – 1st – 7′ 6.50″ (2.30m)

LSU Alumni Gold – Long Jump – 1st – 27′ 8.25″ (8.44m)

Crimson Tide Inv. – High Jump – 1st – 7′ 3.75″ (2.23m)

Laird’s Outdoor Full Results

NCAA Championships – 100 Meters – 1st – 10.05

NCAA Championships – 200 Meters – 2nd – 19.94

NCAA Championships – 4x100m Relay – 1st – 38.48

NCAA Prelims – 100 Meters – 2nd – 10.00w

NCAA Prelims – 200 Meters – 1st – 19.94w

NCAA Prelims – 4x100m Relay – 3rd – 38.85

SECs – 100 Meters – 1st – 9.80w

SECs – 200 Meters – 1st – 19.82

SECs – 4x100m Relay – 1st – 38.87

LSU Alumni Gold – 200 Meters – 1st – 19.82w

LSU Alumni Gold – 4x100m Relay – 2nd – 38.58

Boots Garland Inv – 100 Meters – 1st – 10.06

Boots Garland Inv – 4x100m Relay – 1st – 38.82

Crimson Tide Inv – 4x100m Relay – 1st – 39.13

Battle on the Bayou – 4x100m Relay – 1st – 38.97

Texas Relays – 200 Meters – 1st – 19.81

Texas Relay – 4x100m Relay – 2nd – 38.70

Louisiana Classics – 4x100m Relay – 1st – 39.56