Georgia sophomore sprinter Torrin Lawrence has been named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row, according to a USTFCCCA announcement on Tuesday.

TORRIN LAWRENCE

Lawrence was also the recipient of this USTFCCCA honor during the 2009 season.  He won a Southeastern Conference indoor title in the 200-meter dash last year as well as an All-America certificate in the event.

“Torrin had a remarkable freshman indoor season in 2009 that had a lot of knowledgeable track people marveling when they assessed his talent, abilities and accomplishments,” said head coach Wayne Norton.  “However, 2009 does not even compare to what he has done during the last seven weeks.  He has run fast, set records, won races and added another championship.  I like the fact that he still carries himself with the same humility he showed as a freshman last year.  He is a credit to the track program as well as a good teammate.”

In 2010, Lawrence, who was also the 2009 SEC Indoor Male Freshman Runner of the Year, has been unstoppable in the 400 – especially at the site of the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships.  The 6-1 native of Jacksonville, Fla., clocked a world-leading 45.03 to win the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., and shatter the school record.

His time is the third-fastest finish in collegiate indoor history and the seventh-fastest time in the history of the world.  Lawrence’s mark is also the fastest time run since Kerron Clement set a world record (44.57) in March 2005.

Lawrence returned to Fayetteville for the SEC Championships and won only the second indoor 400 crown in school history (Justin Gaymon, 2008) for the Bulldogs after registering a time of 45.10.  This is the second-fastest time in the world this year behind his 45.03.

Lawrence also has a collegiate record in the 300 on his resume this season.  He sped to a 32.32 to finish first at the Hokie Invite and top the 23-year-old record of 32.67 in the event set by Mississippi State’s Lorenzo Daniel in 1987.  Lawrence’s time is the fifth-fastest finish in history.

He also won both of the 200 races he was in this season and had a season-best and NCAA automatic qualifying time of 20.80. Although he is tied with the sixth-fastest 200 finish in the country this year, Lawrence will only be competing in the 400 at the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 12-13.

Lawrence has spread his name out across the Bulldog indoor record books.  He is No. 1 in both the 200 (20.77) and the 400, is tied for third in the 60 (6.75) and was on the record-breaking 4×400 relay team (3:07.45) in 2009. Lawrence’s name also is on two other 4×400 relay teams that have top-10 times.

Georgia will travel seven athletes to the NCAA Indoor Championships. Lawrence runs in the 400 prelims at 6:55 p.m. EDT on Friday.  Senior Tommy Barrineau starts the action for the Bulldogs with the first four events of the heptathlon starting at 11 a.m. on Friday.