March 2, 2012

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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina sprinter Erika Rucker has been selected by a vote of the league coaches as the Southeastern Conference 2012 Indoor Freshman Runner of the year, the conference office announced Thursday.

Rucker was named the SEC Freshman Runner of the Year after finishing fourth in the 400m at the SEC Indoor Championships last week with a time of 53.08. Her finish moved her into the NCAA’s top-10 and ranks her as the third-fastest freshman in the nation. She moved into South Carolina’s all-time top-10 list and cut two seconds off her season-opening time.

Rucker is the sixth Gamecock woman to earn an athlete of the year honor by the SEC, and she is the third to earn Freshman Runner of the Year honors behind Nadonnia Rodriques (2009) and Lashinda Demus (2002).

2012 SEC Indoor Track and Field Awards
Men’s Coach of the Year: Chris Bucknam, Arkansas
Women’s Coach of the Year: Mike Holloway, Florida

Men’s Runner of the Year: Luis Orta, Kentucky
Men’s Field Athlete of the Year: Ricky Robertson, Ole Miss
Men’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Patrick Rono, Arkansas
Men’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Andrew Irwin, Arkansas

Women’s Runner of the Year: Kristen Gillespie, Arkansas
Women’s Field Athlete of the Year: Tina Sutej, Arkansas
Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Erika Rucker, South Carolina
Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Erica Bougard, Mississippi State

Gamecock Women SEC Awards History
1996 – SEC Indoor Athlete of the Year – Dawn Ellerbe
1997 – SEC Indoor Athlete of the Year – Dawn Ellerbe
2002 – SEC Indoor Freshman of the Year – Lashinda Demus
2002 – SEC Outdoor Athlete of the Year – Lashinda Demus
2002 – SEC Outdoor Freshman Runner of the Year – Lashinda Demus
2003 – SEC Outdoor Athlete of the Year – Aleen Bailey
2006 – SEC Indoor Runner of the Year – Shalonda Solomon
2009 – SEC Indoor Freshman Runner of the Year – Nadonnia Rodriques
2012 – SEC Indoor Freshman Runner of the Year – Erika Rucker

Gamecock Men SEC Awards History
1998 – SEC Indoor Athlete of the Year – Brad Snyder
1999 – SEC Indoor Athlete of the Year – Terrence Trammell
2003 – SEC Outdoor Freshman of the Year – Kenneth Ferguson
2008 – SEC Outdoor Freshman Runner of the Year – Johnny Dutch