June 3, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s track and field programs earned two regional accolades from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the organization announced Monday.
Sophomore Jade Barber (Middleburg Heights, Ohio) was named the Great Lakes Region’s Women’s Track Athlete of the Year while associate head coach Alan Turner was selected as the Men’s and Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year. The citations marks the second time this season the pair have earned regional awards from the organization as both received the same honors during the indoor season.
Barber recently qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships and is ranked third in the 100m hurdles going into this week’s meet after running 13.00 at the NCAA East Preliminary Round meet.
The sophomore bettered her school record in the event after improving her time in the last two meets. According to The International Association of Athletics Federations her 13.00 mark stands as the 17th best time in the world this season.
Barber surrendered just one loss on the ledger this outdoor season in the 100mH, finishing runner-up at the Stanford Invitational.
She was a major factor in the program winning its second outdoor title on the women’s side at the Big East Outdoor Championships, obtaining 10 points in the 100 hurdles and 10 more in the 4×100 relay.
Barber ran the opening leg of the 4Ã-100m at the Big East Championships, aiding to the foursome’s winning time and is scheduled to lead-off the opening lap on the 4Ã-400m relay that finished with the top time at the East Prelims in 3:32.43.
Turner, currently in his third season with the Fighting Irish, specializes with athletes participating in the sprint, hurdles, and relay events.
Under his direction in each event group, the men’s squad scored 50 of the 107.50 points at the Big East Championships. Sophomore Chris Giesting won the 400 meters (45.90), and was also runner-up at 200 to earn co-track athlete of the meet accolades.
Furthermore, Giesting set a new school record and was crowned a BIG EAST champion in the 400m with a time of 45.90, overtaking his previous best of 46.03 during last year’s outdoor track season.
Junior Jarrod Buchanon, took the top spot at the conference meet in the 400mH with a time of 52.13. Junior Patrick Feeney was the third male coached by Turner to receive all-BIG EAST honors. Feeney placed third in both the 400m (46.23) and the 200m (21.20) at the league meet.
On the women’s side, his athletes recorded 77 of the 153 team points, winning with a 50 point margin over Connecticut. The point total achieved a new school record, bettering 2007’s point total by 32.50.
Michelle Brown won three Big East titles (400m, 4x100m, 4x400m) highlighted by a 52.19 time in the 400m, setting a new Bauer Track & Field Complex record at Rutgers University.
Notre Dame women’s team qualified four in sprinting events and one relay team for this week’s NCAA Championships.
Turner coached NCAA Finals qualifiers at 400 meters and in the 4Ã-400m relay, which set a school record at the Drake Relays.
Turner is the only assistant coach in the nation this season to receive both the men’s and women’s regional assistant coach of the year award among the nine regions.
Both Turner and Barber helped the women’s team reach No. 18 in the national ranking concluding week six of the season (May 6th).
Barber and Turner look to continue on their success at the 2013 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field National Championship, June 5-8, at the University of Oregon (Eugene, Ore.).
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