Anguillian, Shara Proctor named SEC Indoor Freshman Field Athlete of the Year.

Ms Shara Proctor, the first Anguillian to win GOLD at the Carifta Games (2006), has been named as the Southeastern Conference Indoor Freshman Field Athlete of the Year as announced by the league on Tuesday (see below). The Anguillian athlete is a student of the University of Florida (Gators) and with this honour became the first Gator in women’s history to earn the indoor freshman field athlete of the year award. She is also expected to represent Anguilla at the 2007 Carifta games to be held in the Turks and Caicos in April.
 
 The following was reported online at www.gatorzone.com.
 
 "Proctor, a natural long jumper, began competing in the triple jump for the first time in her life at UF and has performed well in both events for the Gators this season. In the long jump, Proctor recorded two wins and two NCAA provisional marks while in the triple jump she earned three NCAA provisional marks and finished in second place twice. Her best marks in both events rank amongst Florida’s indoor top-10.
 
 “Shara has been an excellent addition to the Florida program, and it’s tremendous for her to earn this honor,” women’s associate head coach Steve Lemke said. “Shara joined us as a long jumper, but has also become an exceptional triple jumper. She’s performed well in both events and has a very high ceiling in regards to what all she can achieve with her talent, so we expect even more great things out of her in the upcoming outdoor season and the years to come.”
 
 In her first collegiate meet, the Clemson Opener, Proctor recorded an NCAA provisional mark in the long jump with a leap of 6.13m/20-1.50 to win the event. Then, last week in her final competition of the indoor season at the Arkansas Last Chance Qualifier she notched her best long jump of the season with a mark of 6.23m/20-5.25 to record her second NCAA provisional mark and second win in the event. That mark ranks as the sixth-best mark in school history and tied for the 20th-best jump in the nation this year.
 
 Proctor competed in the triple jump for the first time in her life at the Florida Intercollegiate where she recorded a leap of 12.21m/40-0.75, which ranked seventh on UF’s all-time indoor top-10 list for the event. Since then, she continued to improve and move up the top-10 chart. In her second competition in the triple jump, Proctor uncorked a leap of 12.91m/42-4.25 to finish in second place. That mark was the third-longest indoor triple jump in school history and was Proctor’s first NCAA provisional mark in the event. She improved upon her distance in the event yet again at the SEC Indoor Championships by leaping 12.99m/42-7.50 – the 25th-best mark in the nation. It was good enough for fourth place and was also her second provisional mark. In the span of competing in the triple jump on three occasions, Proctor improved her mark by nearly seven inches. She recorded her third provisional leap in the event at the Arkansas Last Chance Qualifier with a jump of 12.96m/42-6.25.
 
 The Gators will begin competing in the outdoor season at the Florida State Relays March 29-31"
 
 
 2006-2007 SEC Indoor Track Postseason Awards
 Men's Runner of the Year - Ian Burrell, Georgia
 Women's Runner of the Year - Kerron Stewart, Auburn
 Men's Field Event Athlete of the Year - Corey Martin, Auburn
 Women's Field Event Athlete of the Year - Patricia Sylvester, Georgia
 Men's Freshman Runner of the Year - Emmanuel Bor, Alabama
 Women's Freshman Runner of the Year - Latavia Thomas, LSU
 Men's Freshman Field Event Athlete of the Year - Mike Morrison, Florida
 Women's Freshman Field Event Athlete of the Year - Shara Proctor, Florida
 Men's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year - John McDonnell, Arkansas
 Women's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year - J.J. Clark, Tennessee
 
 
 Photo source: www.gatorzone.com