Photo by: Kirby Lee
Cunliffe, Johnson, Taylor Receive National Awards
03/14/17 | Track and Field
EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon track and field junior Hannah Cunliffe has been named the women's national track athlete of the year for the indoor season, while head coach Robert Johnson earned the women's national coach the year honor and assistant Curtis Taylor was named the women's national assistant coach of the year, the USTFCCA announced on Tuesday.
The trio earned the honors after the Women of Oregon won their seventh indoor national title in the last eight years over the weekend at the NCAA Indoor Championships, scoring a meet record 84 points while doing so to break Texas' previous record of 71 set in 1988.
Cunliffe won the national title in the 60 meters for her first-career national title, and then finished second in the 200 meters to teammate Ariana Washington to wrap the meet tied for the most individual points scored on the women's side (18). The Ducks' 1-2 finish in the 200 was the first of its kind since Auburn accomplished the feat in 2010. Cunliffe also set the collegiate record in the 60 meters at the Don Kirby Elite in Albuquerque on February 10, winning in a blazing 7.07 seconds.
Johnson claimed the sixth national coach of the year award of his career after leading the women to the dominant victory. Johnson guided the Women of Oregon to four individual titles at the Indoor Championships, as well as two collegiate records this indoor season, Cunliffe in the 60 meters and the DMR. The Ducks' national title marked the 12th total under Johnson and the seventh on the women's side.
Taylor, the Ducks' sprints, relays and hurdles coach, became the first Oregon coach to win the national assistant coach of the year award since Johnson did so in 2010. Taylor's athletes were instrumental in the Ducks' record performance at the Indoor Championships, with 57 of their 84 points coming from athletes under Taylor's watch. Oregon got 20 points in the 60 meters with a 1-3-5 finish from Cunliffe, Washington and Stevens, respectively, and 18 more from the 1-2 finish in the 200. Sasha Wallace won the 60 hurdles to go along with an eighth-place finish from Alaysha Johnson, and Oregon's 4x400 team finished second with the second-fastest time in collegiate indoor history.
The trio earned the honors after the Women of Oregon won their seventh indoor national title in the last eight years over the weekend at the NCAA Indoor Championships, scoring a meet record 84 points while doing so to break Texas' previous record of 71 set in 1988.
Cunliffe won the national title in the 60 meters for her first-career national title, and then finished second in the 200 meters to teammate Ariana Washington to wrap the meet tied for the most individual points scored on the women's side (18). The Ducks' 1-2 finish in the 200 was the first of its kind since Auburn accomplished the feat in 2010. Cunliffe also set the collegiate record in the 60 meters at the Don Kirby Elite in Albuquerque on February 10, winning in a blazing 7.07 seconds.
Johnson claimed the sixth national coach of the year award of his career after leading the women to the dominant victory. Johnson guided the Women of Oregon to four individual titles at the Indoor Championships, as well as two collegiate records this indoor season, Cunliffe in the 60 meters and the DMR. The Ducks' national title marked the 12th total under Johnson and the seventh on the women's side.
Taylor, the Ducks' sprints, relays and hurdles coach, became the first Oregon coach to win the national assistant coach of the year award since Johnson did so in 2010. Taylor's athletes were instrumental in the Ducks' record performance at the Indoor Championships, with 57 of their 84 points coming from athletes under Taylor's watch. Oregon got 20 points in the 60 meters with a 1-3-5 finish from Cunliffe, Washington and Stevens, respectively, and 18 more from the 1-2 finish in the 200. Sasha Wallace won the 60 hurdles to go along with an eighth-place finish from Alaysha Johnson, and Oregon's 4x400 team finished second with the second-fastest time in collegiate indoor history.
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