NEW ORLEANS— Carson-Newman sprinter Kevin Snead (Richmond, Va.) added another honor to resume Monday afternoon when the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named the Eagle the Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year to cap off a historic outdoor season for the junior.

Snead is coming off the most successful season a Carson-Newman sprinter has ever had in the longevity of the program.

Currently ranked first in Division II following a school record time of 10.21 seconds in the men's 100 meter dash at the North Carolina Aggie Last Chance Meet on May 15, the junior has beaten a number of Division I runners and Olympic hopefuls throughout the season and will be the No. 1 seed in the event when the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin on May 26.

The sprinter also competed in the men's 200 meter dash on the year where his best time on the season came in another school record breaking performance at the Jesse Owens Track & Field Classic on April 22 following a 20.75 second time. Snead currently ranks sixth in the event for Division II.

Snead's historic season resulted in regional and South Atlantic Conference championships in both events.

The Richmond, Va. native is set to make his second trip to the national stage this year in the coming week after wrapping up the indoor slate with a 10^th-place showing in the men's 60 meter dash at the 2016 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in early March. Snead left the Indoor Championships with his first career All-American honor bestowed by the USTFCCCA.

"Kevin certainly earned this award. We took him to some of the best places to compete this season and everywhere he went he did really well," coach David Needs said. "He is the fastest sprinter in Carson-Newman history and the reason why is because he never backed down and continued to run every single chance he was given. To run as fast as he has and to be ranked where he is in the world is because he never backed down while competing against the best. That's what you want in an athlete and that is why he is deserving."

The Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year, along with fellow teammates Tanner Stepp (Jefferson City, Tenn.), Tori Gaul (Salisbury, N.C.) and Tiana Mills (Chattanooga, Tenn.), will venture down to Bradenton, Fla. to compete in the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships from May 26-28 with hopes of winning individual national championships in their respected events.

The group represents the largest number of athletes Carson-Newman has ever send to an NCAA Track & Field Championships in the history of the program.  

The previous high came just a few short months ago when Needs sent three participants to the 2016 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in Pittsburg, K.S. from March 11-13 of this year. 

Also making headlines Monday afternoon was the Carson-Newman men's outdoor team being ranked in the top-25 for the second time on the season by the USTFCCCA. The Eagles were tabbed 22^nd overall to match a program high set earlier in the season following the second week of competition.

The lowest the Eagles men's outdoor team fell to on the year was 42^nd in the nation.

Stay tuned into cneagles.com for updates regarding Snead and the rest of the Carson-Newman athletes who will be competing in the Outdoor Championships from May 26-28.

-CN-