FRISCO, Texas – For the second time in as many years, Thai Williams has been named the 2018 Southland Conference Indoor Track & Field Women's Athlete of the Year, as announced by the league office on Thursday. Joining Williams in all-conference distinction was Jamie Crowe, who took home the Men's Outstanding Running Events Performer and Men's Newcomer of the Year awards.

"Thai is truly a competitor and always on," said head coach Trey Clark. "She had a really great meet in Birmingham and has been terrific for us throughout her career. Jamie showed he was ready to perform at the Houston Invitational in January. He's a very patient runner and knows when to take the lead and never look back."

Williams earned her second-straight Athlete of the Year award with a meet-record breaking 60m dash gold medal (7.37) to go along with her first-place finish in the long jump. The junior from League City, Texas, is the seventh Cardinal to be named Female Athlete of the Year, and just the second in program history to earn the award twice. Clerc Koenck was Female Athlete of the Year in 2007 and 2008. The Cardinals finished seventh as a team at the 2018 SLC Indoor Track & Field Championships with 54 team points.

Crowe dominated the distance running events, taking gold medals in the 3,000m and 5,000m, helping pace Lamar to a fourth-place team finish in his first year with Big Red.

Overall, Lamar finished with 12 All-Southland performers. Williams took the crown in the women's long jump and 60m dash, Crowe was golden in the men's 3000m and 5000m, Brian O'Bonna broke a 32-year drought in the men's triple jump, and the men's distance medley relay team were also tops on the podium.

Cormac Kelly, Webster Slaughter, Keith Fallon, and Matthew Arnold taking First-Team All-SLC honors for their roles in the men's distance medley relay, finishing a full four seconds ahead of second place.

Arnold finished just over a second behind Crowe in the 3000m, taking silver with a time of 8:15.61. Fallon also silvered in a distance event, the men's mile, with a time of 4:16.31.
O'Bonna became the first Cardinal to win the men's triple jump since James Richardson did in 1986, and just the fourth LU student-athlete in program history, with his new PR of 49' 11.75" on his third attempt.

Dominique Taylor captured bronze in the women's 60m dash and 60m hurdles with personal bests in both events.

In just her second time competing in the event, Migle Muraskaite came in third in the pentathlon with a school record of 3,755 points, breaking a record she had set earlier in the year.
Georgia Tuckfield rounded out the All-Conference distinctions with a bronze medal in the women's mile with a time of 5:02.17. The full list of the Southland's all-conference honorees follows below.  

The Cardinals open their outdoor season at the Victor Lopez Classic, hosted on March 23 and 24. It is the first of several meets as LU looks to prepare for the SLC Outdoor meet hosted in San Antonio in May.

2018 Southland Conference Men's Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams

Event	First	Second	Third
60m	Chris Jefferson, SHSU	Kie'Ave Harry, NSU	Michael McGruder, NSU
200m	Chris Jefferson, SHSU	Amir James, NSU	Lawrence Coleman, SHSU
400m	Maverick Bowleg, SLU	Tedrick Hawkins, SFA	Kerry Gleason, SFA
800m	Alex Hanson, UCA	Daniel Shelton, HBU	Deion Hardy, UIW
Mile	Deion Hardy, UIW	Keith Fallon, LU	Joshua Wilkins, NSU
3,000m	Jamie Crowe, LU	Matthew Arnold, LU	Garett Cortez, UIW
5,000m	Jamie Crowe, LU	Nathan Jones, MCN	Garett Cortez, UIW
60m Hurdles	Fabian McCall, SHSU	Tremayne Flagler, NSU	Darion Dunn, MCN
4x400m	SFA: K. Gleason, C. Fentress, D. Murphy, T. Hawkins	ACU: A. Williams, J. Williams, L. Bloomfield, T. Hawkins	SHSU: Z. Gasca, F. McCall, E. Pouncy, L. Coleman
DMR	LU: C. Kelly, W. Slaughter, K. Fallon, M. Arnold	SFA: L. Deramus, C. Fentress, D. Murphy, E. Rotich	UCA: M. Schweikert, M. Keeton, S. Sullivan, J. Jeandree
High Jump	Tyler Adams, SHSU	Eric Moore, UCA	Lentz Similien, MCN
Pole Vault	Antonio Ruiz, SFA	Clayton Fritsch, SHSU	James Manders, AMCC
Long Jump	Tyler Adams, SHSU	Isaiah Pittman, SFA	Michael Strong, UNO
Triple Jump	Brian O'Bonna, LU	Zachary Johnson, SHSU	Ceaser Stephens, NSU
Shot Put	Stevon Crooks, SLU	Morgan Knight, ACU	Cedric Paul, NSU
Weight Throw	Joshua Hernandez, SHSU	Morgan Knight, ACU	Kyrin Tucker, NSU
Heptathlon	Tyler Adams, SHSU	Hunter Key, SFA	James Manders, AMCC

 
2018 Southland Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field All-Conference Teams

Event	First	Second	Third
60m	Thai Williams, LU	Daijah Washington, SLU	Dominique Taylor, LU
200m	De'Shalyn Jones, NSU	Natashia Jackson, NSU	Kendesha Ingraham, SLU
400m	Natashia Jackson, NSU	Teona Spivey, SHSU	Erekha Sebastion, UIW
800m	Camry Grigsby, SHSU	Dominique Allen, UIW	LaSean Davis, SFA
Mile	Allyson Girard, AMCC	Kelsey Ramirez, SFA	Georgia Tuckfield, LU
3,000m	Rabea Schöneborn, AMCC	Alexandria Hackett, ACU	Michaela Hackett, ACU
5,000m	Rabea Schöneborn, AMCC	Alexandria Hackett, ACU	Michaela Hackett, ACU
60m Hurdles	Daeshon Gordon, NSU	Jerica Love, UIW	Dominique Taylor, LU
4x400m	NSU: C. Willis, N. Jackson, W. Lageroy, D. Moore	SFA: I. Nave, D. Jackson, T. Williams, A. Teel	SHSU: T. Spivey, K. Dixon, K. Church, C. Grigsby
DMR	SHSU: C. Grigsby, K. Church, J. Eckford, M. Seales	SFA: L. Davis, K. Sanders, S. Ford, K. Ramirez	UIW: S. Diaz, G. Odendahl, D. Allen, K. Ramirez
High Jump	Hannah Noble, UCA	Quanese Jones-Young, NSU	Sashane Hanson, AMCC
Pole Vault	Kaylee Bizzell, SFA	Hannah McWilliams, AMCC	Carson Dingler, SFA
Long Jump	Thai Williams, LU	Sarea Alexander, UIW	Tristyn Allen, SHSU
Triple Jump	Sarea Alexander, UIW	Tristyn Allen, SHSU	Natayla Nance, HBU
Shot Put	Ashley Davis, SLU	Kristine Hanks, SHSU	Kayla Melgar, ACU
Weight Throw	Yarixza Rivera, SHSU	Lonnie Smith, ACU	Alanna Arvie, MCN
Pentathlon	Grace McKenzie, MCN	Courtney Lord, SHSU	Migle Miraskaite, LU