NEW ORLEANS - It's been a pretty good week to be Carson-Newman Director of Track and Field David Needs.
Wednesday, the Eagles' 22nd-year head coach received the East Tennessee Historical Society's Community History Award for his work on the preservation of Mossy Creek and the Civil War Battle that occured there. Friday, Needs was named the U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's Southeast Region Coach of the Year.
"I am honored to be voted coach of the year," Needs said. "However, to me, this award is a testimony to an amazing coaching staff that works with an incredibly dedicated and talented group of student athletes. Our coaching staff and support staff have done an exceptional job this season after we graduated All-Americans in Tanner Stepp and Kieran Showler-Davis. In spite of that, we improved out national position. I'm bless to have so many quality people working around and with us."
Needs recognized the members of his coaching staff, Tyler Stepp, Eric Phillips, Mark Stepp, Christie Champ, Showler-Davis, Anthony Jackson, Mike Morrison and Rennee Zellner, as well as athletic trainer Kelly Brock, strength coach Thomas Collins and athletic communications professional Tanner "Chubbs" Swift.
Needs helped Carson-Newman to its best ever finish at the South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Eagles finished in third and brought home SAC titles in the 10K, 5K and 400 Meter Hurdles.
All told, Needs helped produce six all-region performers on the men's side in 11 events.
All-American Luke Greer is wrapping up a star-studded senior campaign as a three-time all-region performer during the outdoor campaign. The SAC Track Athlete of the Meet earned all-region honors in the 10K, 5K and 1,500 meters. He will compete in the first two events at the National Championship Meet next week in Kingsville, Texas.
Devon Moore carries the top time in all of Division II in the 100 Meters, and the 12th fastest wind-aided mark of all-time for the Division. He burned a 10.12 at the Tennessee Relays earning an automatic qualifying time to nationals. Moore also earned all-region honors in the 200 Meters and will compete in that event at nationals as well.
Jahvad McDermott, Kris Potts-Howard and Trayzel Jureidini-Wyche all earned all-region honors in field events, with McDermott and Potts-Howard punching tickets to nationals. McDermott is seeded 13th in the triple jump headed into nationals. He also earned all-region honors in the high jump. Potts-Howard heads to the main stage in the long jump. he is seeded 17tth in the event with a leap of 7.48 meters. Potts-Howard finished 13th at nationals as a sophomore in the event with a jump of 6.99 meters. He also earned all-region honors in the triple jump.
Jureidini-Wyche picked up his all-region accolades in the discus.