March 2, 2015

Nine Eagles pick up USTFCCCA All-Region honors

NEW ORLEANS – Nine Carson-Newman athletes garnered Division II All-Region Honors in 10 events announced Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the 2014-15 indoor track & field season.

NEW ORLEANS – Nine Carson-Newman athletes garnered Division II All-Region Honors in 10 events announced Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the 2014-15 indoor track & field season.

To earn an All-Region honor, each individual had to be ranked in the top-five in an event in the Southeast region and the top-three relay teams picked up the accolade.

Four Carson-Newman men picked up an award as sophomore TJ Davis, senior Randall Freeman, freshman Tanner Stepp and sophomore Jason Williams were given the distinction. Five Eagle females also earned the status of All-Region: junior Jessica Azor, freshman Kristin Chapman, freshman Tori Gaul, freshman Samantha Gudger and sophomore Tianna Mills.

"Have a lot to be proud of, we have a group of men and women who have competed with the very best in the region and now have earned All-Region. It is a measure of commitment and excellence that extends from our student-athletes and includes the effort of a dedicated coaching staff and trainers who have helped them along the way," track and field coach David Needs said. "To have a combination of upperclassmen and freshmen earn All-Region shows that our athletes are pushing themselves, but are also working together to make our team better and continue to build a program that has lofty expectations."

Gudger led the way for Carson-Newman by picking up two All-Region honors. The Bristol, Tenn.-native picked up the awards in the High and Long Jumps. Azor and Chapman joined their teammate by receiving the accolade in the High Jump, while Mills's also won the credit in the Long Jump.

Gaul's first All-Region decoration was earned via the Pole Vault.

Azor now has four All-Region honors to her name and Mills has received the award three times in just two seasons on Mossy Creek.

On the men's side, Davis and Williams have both picked up an All-Region decoration in the Long Jump for the second straight year; the same can be said for Freeman who picked up his second consecutive indoor honor in the Shot Put.

The only male Eagle to be a first-time All-Region is Stepp. The Jefferson City, Tenn.-product capped off his dominant winter indoor season in the high jump with the award from the USTFCCCA.

The Eagles will now wait two weeks before heading to Birmingham, Ala. for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships with their new honors in hand.

TJ Davis	Carson-Newman	Southeast	Long Jump
Randall Freeman	Carson-Newman	Southeast	Shot Put
Tanner Stepp	Carson-Newman	Southeast	High Jump
Jason Williams	Carson-Newman	Southeast	Long Jump
Jessica Azor	Carson-Newman	Southeast	High Jump
Kristin Chapman	Carson-Newman	Southeast	High Jump
Tori Gaul	Carson-Newman	Southeast	Pole Vault
Samantha Gudger	Carson-Newman	Southeast	High Jump
Samantha Gudger	Carson-Newman	Southeast	Long Jump