Texas' Edrick Floréal, Julien Alfred collect coach and athlete of the year awards
The Texas women's track team has already won the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, but a few more awards never hurt anybody.
Coach Edrick Floréal has been named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Women’s Outdoor National Coach of the Year for the first time, while Julien Alfred won has now swept the USTFCCCA National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year Awards this season, winning both indoor & outdoor.
Leo Neugebauer also won Men’s co-National Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year after his record-breaking performance in the decathlon.
Floréal led the Longhorns to one of the most dominant women performances in the team's history and their first outdoor title since 2005. By the time the dust had settled, Texas had collected 83 points, with Florida finishing a distance second with 51 points.
More: Looking back at the Texas women's four previous NCAA Outdoor Track and Field titles
His and Texas' focus was not on personal distinction, but about how an athlete's contributions help the team. This way of thinking, he believes, freed his team from anxiety and fear, "because you're not doing it for you."
It's also what led Alfred to one of the most dominant sprinting performances in NCAA history. She holds the school record in the 100 and 200 meters and the 400 relay and won back-to-back 100 national titles. She contributed 22 1/2 points to the Longhorns' win and is the first UT woman to win the outdoor athlete of the year award.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas track's Edrick Floréal, Julien Alfred earn end of year awards
