USTFCCCA Release
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Senior Brionna Thomas was voted the Great Lakes Region's Track Athlete of the Year and Lonnie Greene was named the region's Women's Head Coach of the Year, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Friday. Thomas won Big Ten titles and qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 400-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay, while also earning a bronze medal at the conference meet in the 200-meter dash. Greene's women were the top ranked team in the region all season, top 15 in the country, finished runner-up at Big Tens and advanced eight entries to the NCAA Championships.
Thomas broke the school record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.13 seconds, which won her the Big Ten title. That time is the second-fastest ever run at a Big Ten Championship meet. She was also the second leg of the 4x400-meter relay, which won the Big Ten title with a meet-record time of 3:28.98. That won by 4.71 seconds. Thomas earned the bronze medal in the 200-meter dash at Big Tens with a school-record time of 22.99 seconds.
At the NCAA East Prelims, Thomas helped the 4x400-meter relay team run the nation's second-fastest time this year. The Boilermakers ran a time of 3:26.71 in the pouring rain to finish as the top team in the region - which boasts the nation's five fastest 1,600-meter relay teams - by 4.99 seconds. In the 400-meter dash, she won both of her heats, including a time of 51.19 seconds in the quarterfinals. That was the second-fastest time in the east and earned her a spot in the NCAA Championships.
Thomas' year includes first team All-America honors indoors in the 400-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay. She finished fifth in the 400 and helped the relay team finish as nation runners-up. After that performance, she was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year for the indoor season.
Greene's award comes after leading the women to the top regional ranking all season. The Boilermakers were ranked as high as 11th nationally and earned a runner-up finish at Big Tens with 132 points. His team broke seven school records, won seven event titles at the Big Ten Championships, qualified eight entries for the NCAA Championships and broke the all-time conference record in the 4x400-meter relay. Greene has led his 4x4 team to the second-fastest time in the country this year, senior Devynne Charlton to the nation's third-fastest 100-meter hurdles time, senior Symone Black to the fourth-fastest 400-meter hurdles time nationally and Thomas to the sixth-fastest 400-meter dash time.
The Boilermaker women have cleaned up the major track awards this year. Indoors, senior Jahneya Mitchell was named the Great Lakes Region's Track Athlete of the Year award for her efforts winning Big Ten titles in the 600-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay. Thomas then won the Track Athlete of the Year. Charlton was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships after winning conference titles in the 100-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay, while also scoring in the 200-meter dash.
Greene, Thomas and the Boilermakers have just the NCAA Championships left this season. The meet is scheduled to start Wednesday with men's action, while the women begin Thursday. A full preview of the meet will be posted next week.