Texas A&M's Fred Kerley earns National and SEC Athlete of the Week honors

Running the fastest lead-off split ever on a 4x400 relay earned Texas A&M senior Fred Kerley (Taylor, Texas) the National Athlete of the Week honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as well as the SEC men's Runner of the Week.
 
Kerley's split of 44.96 seconds is the only first-leg split ever run under 45 seconds, topping the previous best marks of 45.5 (Reggie Witherspoon, Florida, 2004) and 45.71 (Tyree Washington, USA, 2006). Kerley's time is also 10^th all-time among Division I collegiate indoor splits on a 4x400 relay as well as 15^th best ever in the world.
 
On the all-time 400m world indoor list, only four individuals have ever run faster than Kerley's split – Kerron Clement (44.57), Michael Johnson (44.63), Kirani James (44.80) and LaShawn Merritt (44.93).
 
Kerley also set a career best time of 20.58 in the 200m, third fastest in the world for 2017, as he won his section and placed second overall at the Razorback Invitational this past weekend. Kerley's effort in the 200m equals the No. 4 performer and No. 7 performance on the Texas A&M all-time list. He ran the fastest 200m by an Aggie in the month of January, topping a 20.69 by Curtis Mitchell in 2010.
 
The relay performance by Kerley sparked a collegiate record by the Aggies as they won the race in 3:02.52 to better the previous standard of 3:02.86 established by Texas A&M in 2015. It's also the fourth fastest time on the all-time world list and the fastest ever in the month of January, bettering the 3:03.23 set by the Aggies in 2015 at Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Complex.
 
Members of the 2017 Texas A&M relay that claimed the win at the Razorback Invitational included Richard Rose (46.01), Devin Dixon (46.25) and Mylik Kerley (45.30). They bettered an elite field by nearly three-and-a-half seconds. Finishing behind the Aggies in a two-section final were Tennessee (3:06.30), LSU (3:07.02), Florida (3:07.11), Mississippi State (3:08.06), Arkansas (3:09.28) and Georgia (3:10.71).
 
Texas A&M now has run the five fastest 4x400 times ever on the indoor all-time collegiate list and have broken the collegiate record three times in the past four years.
 
4x400 Relay – All-time World Indoor
3:01.96          USA All-Star                  2006
3:02.13          USA National Team     2014
3:02.45          USA National Team     2016
3:02.52          Texas A&M                   2017
3:02.83          USA National Team     1999
3:02.86          Texas A&M                   2015
3:02.87          Belgium                         2015
3:02.97          Poland                           2015
3:03.01          Poland                           1999
3:03.05          Germany                       1991
3:03.20          Great Britain                1999
3:03.20          Texas A&M                   2014
3:03.23          Texas A&M                   2015
3:03.24          USA National Team     1991                                      
3:03.24          USA National Team     2006
3:03.40          USA National Team     2010
3:03.47          Texas A&M                   2015
 
4x400 Relay – All-time Collegiate Indoor
3:02.52          Texas A&M             2017       Razorback Inv.
3:02.86          Texas A&M             2015       NCAA
3:03.20          Texas A&M             2014       SEC
3:03.23          Texas A&M             2015       Razorback Inv.
3:03.47          Texas A&M             2015       Tyson Inv.
3:03.50          Arkansas                  2013       NCAA
3:03.50          Florida                      2014       SEC
3:03.51          Florida                      2015       NCAA
3:03.71          Florida                      2013       NCAA
3:03.76          Arkansas                  2012       Tyson Inv.
3:03.96          Baylor                       2004       NCAA
 
4x400 Relay – All-time Collegiate Indoor splits
44.50    Deon Lendore (Texas A&M)       2013      4^th leg
44.4       Darold Williamson (Baylor)        2005      4^th leg
44.54    Rondell Bartholomew (SPlains)  2011      4^th leg
44.57                  Lendore                            2014      4^th leg
44.63                   Lendore                            2014      4^th leg
44.5                     Williamson                       2004      4^th leg
44.78    Bralon Taplin (Texas A&M)         2015      2^nd leg
44.7       Alleyne Francique (LSU)               2001      4^th leg
44.89    George Caddick (Baylor)              2016      4^th leg
44.91    Tony McQuay (Florida)                2011      2^nd leg
44.91    Arman Hall (Florida)                     2014      4^th leg
44.8       Mitch Potter (Minnesota)            2004      4^th leg
44.94    Demetrius Pinder (Texas A&M) 2011      2^nd leg
44.96    Fred Kerley (Texas A&M)            2017      1^st leg
44.99    Vernon Norwood (LSU)               2014      4^th leg
44.9       Jonathan Fortenberry (SCar)      2003      4^th leg
 
200 meters – All-time Texas A&M Indoor
20.37    Ameer Webb                   2013
20.37    Curtis Mitchell                 2010
20.57    Shavez Hart                      2015
20.58    Devin Jenkins                   2016
20.58    Fred Kerley                       2017
20.63    Stanley Kerr                     1988
20.66    Aldrich Bailey                   2014
20.67    Chris Dykes                      2007
20.68    Deon Lendore                 2014
20.70    Prezel Hardy, Jr.              2014