CARTER NAMED BEST IN THE WEST

June 3, 2013



CARTER NAMED BEST IN THE WEST



Stanford hurdler earns regional track honor



STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford hurdler Kori Carter was named Women’s West Region Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Monday.



The junior from Claremont, Calif., won Pac-12 championships in the 100-meter hurdles and 400 hurdles on May 12 and is ranked among the top 10 in the world in both events going into the NCAA Championships this week. Carter is scheduled to compete in both hurdles races and anchor the Cardinal’s 4x400 relay in Eugene, Ore., on June 5-8.



The USTFCCCCA names nine regional athletes of the year for both men and women, for both track and field. Therefore, Carter is among 36 track and field athletes honored throughout the country and four in the West. The others are Arizona high jumper Brigetta Barrett for women’s field, USC’s 400 runner Bryshon Nellum for men’s track, and UCLA discus thrower Julian Wruck for men’s field.



Carter has established herself as a breakout star this season, twice running world-leading 400 hurdles times while three times beating 2012 Olympic finalist Georganne Moline of Arizona in memorable duels – at Tucson’s Jim Click Invitational, the Pac-12 Championships at USC, and the NCAA West Prelims in Austin, Texas.



Carter won Pac-12 titles in the 400 hurdles in 54.21, the No. 2 in-season time in collegiate history, and the 100 hurdles in 12.76, and ran a 50.9 anchor split at the NCAA West Prelims to help Stanford’s 4×400 qualify for the NCAA Championships. Both Pac-12 performances broke personal and school records.



Her 400 hurdles time ranks No. 3 in the world this year and No. 1 in the U.S. In the 100 hurdles, she’s No. 8 in the world and No. 2 in NCAA Division I.



Carter also is among 10 women on the watch list for the Bowerman Trophy, collegiate track and field’s highest annual honor. The next step is the June 18 release of the names of the semifinalists.



Carter opens NCAA competition on Wednesday with the 400 hurdles semifinals at 6 p.m. Thursday marks her only possible two-event day, with the 100 hurdles semis at 5:05 p.m. and the 4x400 semis at 6:20.



Finals for her events are Friday at 4:30 p.m. for the 400 hurdles, Saturday at 3:09 p.m. for the 100 hurdles, and Saturday at 3:43 p.m. for the 4x400.

Courtesy Stanford