GSC Announces 2021 Men's Outdoor Track and Field Yearly Awards
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Gulf South Conference has announced its 2021 outdoor men’s track and field yearly award winners, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Christian Noble of Lee was named GSC Track Athlete of the Year,
Zach Hancock of Alabama Huntsville was named GSC Field Athlete of the Year, and
Wilson McClain of Alabama Huntsville was named GSC Freshman of the Year. UAH's
David Cain was named GSC Coach of the Year.
This is the second straight year that Noble has been named GSC Track Athlete of the Year in the outdoor season. He is also a two-time winner of the award in the indoor season. At the GSC Championship, he won gold and set new meet records in the 3000m steeplechase and the 1500 meters. Noble currently has the top time in the country in the steeplechase with an automatic qualifying time of 8:35.73. He also has an automatic qualifying time in the 5000 meters. Noble won a pair of national titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships back in March (3000m and 5000m).
Hancock earns GSC Field Athlete of the Year for the outdoor season for the second time in his career, previously winning in 2018. Like Noble, this is the fourth time in his career winning this award between indoor and outdoor, winning the indoor award in both 2020 and 2021. Hancock has a pair of national automatic marks, ranking fifth in the shot put and fourth in the discus. He won three gold medals with three meet records (hammer, discus, and shot put) at the GSC Championship. In just outdoor, Hancock has won seven career gold medals.
McClain is the GSC Freshman of the Year and one of the top hurdlers in the country. McClain is currently third in the nation with a time of 13.83 in the 110m hurdles with an automatic qualifying time of 13.83. He won gold at the GSC Championship in the event and posted the second best time in meet history.
This is the third time that Cain has been named GSC Coach of the Year for men's outdoor. He also won the award in 2017 and 2018. The Chargers have won the GSC Championship in all three of his award-winning seasons. UAH is ranked 20th in the country heading into tonight's announcement of the the NCAA qualifiers.