Wadlington and Harmon Garner Individual UAA Recognition

St. Louis, Mo., April 24, 2008 – Junior Danielle Wadlington and freshman Ben Harmon of the Washington University women’s and men’s track and field teams earned University Athletic Association (UAA) Outdoor Championship individual accolades, as announced by the association on Thursday. Additionally, the Washington U. women’s track and field coaching staff was tabbed as the conference coaching staff of the year.

Wadlington was named the women’s Most Outstanding Performer in the field events, as she won the triple jump at the 2008 conference championship meet, helping her team win the UAA crown. Her final distance of 12.02 meters both automatically qualified her for the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships and set a new Washington University school record.

Wadlington also won the UAA title in the 100-meter hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay. She is the second WU student-athlete to earn the conference’s female most outstanding performer in field events award, as senior Morgen Leonard-Fleckman accomplished the same feat at the indoor championships.

Harmon won the long jump at the 2008 UAA outdoor championships with an NCAA provisional qualifying distance of 7.08 meters, and was named the UAA men’s Rookie of the Year. He also placed third in the high jump with a leap of 1.94 meters and was a member of the Bears’ runner-up 4x400-meter relay team. Harmon is named the conference’s top rookie for the second time this year; he earned the same award at the UAA indoor meet.

Head coach Paul Thornton and assistant coaches Jeff Stiles, Lane Lohr and Justin McKnight earned Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year honors as the Bears’ squad won the UAA outdoor title for the eighth year in a row. The UAA outdoor championship was the fifth for Thornton.

The Bears return to action on Saturday, April 26, when they compete at the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Cougar Open in Edwardsville, Ill.