University of Tennessee Athletics
Coleman Named USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week
February 16, 2016 | Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS --Tennessee sophomore sprinter Christian Coleman has been named the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Men's National Athlete of the Week, as announced by the USTFCCCA on Tuesday.
Coleman is the first Tennessee student-athlete to win the award, which dates back to the 2013 indoor season.
Coleman dominated the men's side of the Tyson Invitational this past week, winning both the 60 meters and the 200 meters. He won the 60 meters with a 6.55 in the finals, unseating defending NCAA champ Ronnie Baker of TCU as well as several other standouts, including Arkansas' Kenzo Cotton and Clemson's Tevin Hester.
He clocked a personal-best 20.59 in the 200 meters, which ranks fourth in the nation and fourth in UT history. Coleman beat then-national leader Nethaneel Mitchell Blake of LSU in the final. It was Tennessee's fastest 200-meter time since Rubin Williams set the school record of 20.36 in 2008.
The Tennessee men's and women's squads are both ranked in the top 10 in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division I National Team Computer Rankings. The UT men are No. 2, moving up five spots from Week 3. The Tennessee women have moved up to No. 7 after sitting at No. 14 in last week's rankings. This week's rankings mark the first time since the 2008 indoor season that both the UT men and women were ranked in the top 10. The men's No. 2 ranking is their highest since a No. 1 ranking in Week 3 of the 2008 indoor season. The women's No. 7 ranking is their highest since being No. 7 in Week 6 of the 2011 indoor season.
Tennessee will focus on training this week as the Vols prepare for the 2016 SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships, held Feb. 26-27 at Randal Tyson Track Complex in Fayetteville, Ark.
