June 23, 2010
NEW ORLEANS - The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named Texas A&M's Vince Anderson the 2010 National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year for outdoor track and field as voted by the nation's coaches.
This is the third consecutive year for Anderson to claim the national award. This season marked the 25th year of collegiate coaching by Anderson and his sixth year at Texas A&M.
The Aggie women won their second consecutive NCAA team title this month in Eugene, Oregon, while also claiming a fourth consecutive Big 12 Outdoor Championship during inclement weather in Columbia, Missouri, during the month of May.
For both of those team championships, a majority of the scoring came from the sprint and hurdle event areas that Anderson coaches.
During the Big 12 meet the sprint and hurdle crew scored 98 of the 157 points A&M scored. Then at the NCAA Championships the sprint and hurdle crew tallied 65 of the 72 points the Aggies accumulated in defending their 2009 NCAA Outdoor championship.
The women's 200 meters was a key event for the Aggies in Eugene as 22 points were scored from the 1-2-5 A&M finish by Porscha Lucas, Jeneba Tarmoh and Dominique Duncan.
Lucas defended her NCAA 200 title and added a runner-up finish in the 100. Tarmoh also contributed a third-place effort in the 100 and ran on both relays. Jessica Beard finished second in the 400 and also ran on both relays.
Duncan wasn't predicted to score in the 200 for A&M, but made the final and picked up four key points. Vashti Thomas also produced bonus points in the 100 hurdles when she placed sixth. Texas A&M was missing a pair of world-class talents in the hurdles with injuries to Natasha Ruddock and Gabby Mayo.
In addition, Anderson, along with A&M head coach Pat Henry, supervised the Aggie the 4 x 100 relay to a fourth consecutive NCAA title while the 4 x 400 relay finished second with a school record.
The sprint relay, which has included Lucas on the second leg all four years, is undefeated in postseason races over the past four seasons, which includes 19 races and 11 finals.
Of the seven sprint, hurdle and relay events held during the Big 12 meet, A&M women claimed titles in six of the events. Tarmoh doubled in the 100 and 200, Beard won her third consecutive 400 title, while Ruddock locked up the 100 hurdles. The Aggies also had a pair of victories from the two relay races.
The 4 x 100 relay posted a world-leading time of 42.49 during the NCAA West preliminary rounds. Earlier in the season a pair of victories at the Penn Relays resulted in collegiate records for A&M in the 4 x 200 relay and shuttle hurdle relay.