NCCU's Smoots, Lawson Earn Regional Indoor Track Awards

For the second consecutive year North Carolina Central University senior sprinter Jason Smoots has been named the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, while NCCU head coach Michael Lawson also repeated as the Southeast Regional Men's Indoor Track Coach of the Year, as selected by the U.S. Track Coaches Association (USTCA).

On Saturday, Smoots won a national title in the men's 60-meter dash at the 2003 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, becoming the first three-time winner of the indoor sprint in Division II history (dating back to 1985).

Earlier this season, Smoots placed fourth at the USA Indoor Track Championships as the only collegiate athlete to advance into the 60m finals (March 1), set a new meet record en route to a 60-meter dash victory at the Armory Invitational in New York, NY (Feb. 15), captured his third-consecutive individual title at the CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Newport News, VA (Feb. 9), and defeated Allen Johnson, a gold medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, en route to a first place finish in the 60-meter dash during the Tar Heel Classic in Chapel Hill (Jan. 25).

A native of Gadsden, Alabama, Smoots now has six national championships to his credit, including three indoor (2001 55m, 2002 60m, 2003 60m) and three outdoor (2001 100m, 2002 100m, 2002 4x100m relay).

Lawson, in his 14th season as head coach at NCCU, has now received four USTCA coach of the year awards since 2001.