June 20, 2011
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced that Florida’s Dick Booth and Arizona’s Craig Carter are the National Assistant Coaches of the Year for the outdoor track & field season in NCAA’s Division I. Chosen by their peers, Booth and Carter led those in which they coach to national prominence and the record books.
NATIONAL MEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Dick Booth, Florida
Working with the Florida jumpers for the second year, Booth’s pupils, which include the likes of Christian Taylor and Will Claye, scored 24 points at the NCAA Championships during the outdoor season in leading the Gators to a third-place national team finish. Taylor and Claye accounted for an epic back-and-forth battle at the national championships in the triple jump as the duo would finish 1-2 in the event.
Taylor’s winning best jump, a wind-aided leap of 58-4¾ (17.80m) at the national meet, is the all-time, all-conditions collegiate-best mark, surpassing the 1985 wind-aided measure by Arkansas’ Mike Conley (58-1¾, 17.72m). Claye recorded a wind-aided best of 57-9¾ (17.62m), the third-best all-time, all-conditions jump in collegiate history, for second place to Taylor. Taylor and Claye’s wind-legal marks of 57-1 (17.40m) and 56-11¼ (17.35m), respectively, moved the duo to the all-time top five in collegiate history, trailing only SMU’s Keith Connor, Conley, and Baptist’s Charlie Simpkins. Taylor and Claye are also both in the world’s top-five performers list for the season.
Claye also finished third in the long jump at the NCAA’s finals.
Booth also coached NCAA Championship final-site participants Frankie Hammond in the high jump.
Claye won SEC long jump and triple jump titles, earning SEC Field Athlete of the Year honors. Overall, Booth’s athletes scored 37 of Florida’s 140 points at the SEC Championships.
Past Winners:
2011: Dick Booth, Florida
2010: David Dumble, Arizona State
2009: Jim VanHootegem, Texas A&M
2008: Jerry Clayton, Auburn
2006: Paul Ereng, UTEP (distance)
Mario Santegna, Texas (jumps/combined events)
Scott Hall, Wake Forest (sprints/hurdles)
Greg Jack, Virginia Tech (throws)
NATIONAL WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Craig Carter, Arizona
Carter and Arizona’s throwers had an outstanding year. Carter, a fifth-year coach at UA, led three Wildcats to the NCAA’s finals in the shot put and one to a national berth in the discus. Sophomore Julie Labonté won the national title with the shot, claiming a new Canadian national record with a put of 60-1 (18.31m). Discus thrower, freshman Baillie Gibson, took fifth place at the national meet and also participated in the shot put. All told, Arizona’s throwers accounted for 14 of the team’s points, helping the Wildcats to a fifth-place national team finish.
Carter’s throwers tallied 63 of Arizona's 150 team points in a runner-up finish at the Pac-10 Championships, with athletes finishing 1-2-3-5-6 in the shot put and 2-3-4-6 in the discus.
Past Winners:
2011: Craig Carter, Arizona
2010: Vince Anderson, Texas A&M
2009: Vince Anderson, Texas A&M
2008: Vince Anderson, Texas A&M
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Tom Lewis
U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
Communications Manager
1100 Poydras St., Suite 1750
New Orleans, LA 70163
(O) 504-599-8904 (F) 504-599-8909
Email: tom@ustfccca.org
Follow Us: twitter.com/USTFCCCA
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