Spring Break
Georgia's Hill, Babbit earn track region awards
Issue date: 6/9/09 Section: Sports
Both Georgia track and field¹s Chris Hill and Don Babbitt have earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South Region awards, according to an announcement from the USTFCCCA on Monday.
Hill, a junior from Sulphur, La., was named the South Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year while Babbitt, who is in his 13th season coaching Georgia's throwers, was named the Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.
"Both of these awards are a reflection of the improvement our men's team has shown here 2009. Chris Hill won his first (Southeastern Conference) Championship as well as another NCAA East Regional Championship to help lead our team to a strong showing in both of those meets," said head coach Wayne
Norton. "Hill and our entire group of throwers have had a good regular season and postseason so it shows that Coach Babbitt has had them ready to perform at a high level this season. The throwing corps has definitely been the best in the South district which includes the teams in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia."
Hill has highlighted his 2009 season thus far by winning his second straight NCAA East Regional title in the javelin with a facility and meet record mark of 263 feet, 7 inches. He also captured his first SEC crown in mid-May and has won all four meets he has competed in this year.
Despite suffering an injury to his non-throwing hand earlier in the season, Hill is No. 3 on the national performance list after unleashing an effort of 265-10 to win the Arizona State Invitational in late March. Hill will be gunning for his second NCAA title in a row this week at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
Babbitt, who was also named the 2007 East Region Women¹s Throws Coach of the Year, has guided six Georgia throwers to this year¹s NCAA outdoor meet. Not only has he led Hill to 2009 SEC and NCAA titles in the javelin, but he has also coached junior Michelle Thompson to runner-up honors in the javelin at
the SEC meet and a third-place finish at the NCAA East Regional.
At the SEC Championships, Babbitt had four Bulldog throwers score in the men's hammer, three of which advanced to nationals. Georgia's male throwers also exploded for 29 points at the NCAA East Regional, which was the most points by any team's throwers, to help lead the Bulldogs to a third-place
overall finish. Babbitt's men¹s and women¹s crew also accounted for 54 of Georgia¹s 117.50 total points at the SEC meet.
Hill will be competing in the qualifying round of the men¹s javelin at the NCAA Championships at 9 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. The first event for Georgia is the men's hammer qualifying round at 11:30 a.m. earlier that same day.
- Georgia Sports Communications
Hill, a junior from Sulphur, La., was named the South Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year while Babbitt, who is in his 13th season coaching Georgia's throwers, was named the Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.
"Both of these awards are a reflection of the improvement our men's team has shown here 2009. Chris Hill won his first (Southeastern Conference) Championship as well as another NCAA East Regional Championship to help lead our team to a strong showing in both of those meets," said head coach Wayne
Norton. "Hill and our entire group of throwers have had a good regular season and postseason so it shows that Coach Babbitt has had them ready to perform at a high level this season. The throwing corps has definitely been the best in the South district which includes the teams in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia."
Hill has highlighted his 2009 season thus far by winning his second straight NCAA East Regional title in the javelin with a facility and meet record mark of 263 feet, 7 inches. He also captured his first SEC crown in mid-May and has won all four meets he has competed in this year.
Despite suffering an injury to his non-throwing hand earlier in the season, Hill is No. 3 on the national performance list after unleashing an effort of 265-10 to win the Arizona State Invitational in late March. Hill will be gunning for his second NCAA title in a row this week at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
Babbitt, who was also named the 2007 East Region Women¹s Throws Coach of the Year, has guided six Georgia throwers to this year¹s NCAA outdoor meet. Not only has he led Hill to 2009 SEC and NCAA titles in the javelin, but he has also coached junior Michelle Thompson to runner-up honors in the javelin at
the SEC meet and a third-place finish at the NCAA East Regional.
At the SEC Championships, Babbitt had four Bulldog throwers score in the men's hammer, three of which advanced to nationals. Georgia's male throwers also exploded for 29 points at the NCAA East Regional, which was the most points by any team's throwers, to help lead the Bulldogs to a third-place
overall finish. Babbitt's men¹s and women¹s crew also accounted for 54 of Georgia¹s 117.50 total points at the SEC meet.
Hill will be competing in the qualifying round of the men¹s javelin at the NCAA Championships at 9 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. The first event for Georgia is the men's hammer qualifying round at 11:30 a.m. earlier that same day.
- Georgia Sports Communications
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