Eagles earn two Coach of the Year and two Athlete of the Year honors from the USTFCCCA
NEW ORLEANS, La.- Carson-Newman track and field earned two Regional Coach of the Year awards and two Regional Athlete of the Year titles after the release of the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Regional Awards this afternoon, June 5.
Southeast Region Coach of the Year: David Needs Interview
NEW ORLEANS, La.- Carson-Newman track and field earned two Regional Coach of the Year awards and two Regional Athlete of the Year titles after the release of the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Regional Awards this afternoon, June 5.
The 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Coaches of the Year and Regional Athletes were announced this afternoon, June 5, by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). These honors were voted on by members coaches during the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Pueblo, Colo. A full list of the awards can be found HERE.
Head coach for the Carson-Newman track and field team, David Needs, was named the Men's Southeast Region Coach of the Year. Needs is in his 26th year as Director of Track & Field at Carson-Newman. This season he led the men to a seventh-place finish at the 2023 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Eagles finished 2.5 points off of fourth place at the national meet and left with 32 points, nine All-American performances, and a two-time national champion in Makanakaishe Charamba.
"Honestly, if I stood here and tried to take credit, I would be selling a lot of people short. We have a phenomenal staff, and I mean all of them. When I talk about Kieran, everything I've said is just a drop in the bucket of how much he means to this program. He is meticulous, and he doesn't get overwhelmed in those big moments. He talks to his sprinters and tells them to control the controllable, and Kieran does a great job of implementing that in our program," head track and field coach David Needs said.
Kieran Showler-Davis was named the Men's Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. This is Showler-Davis' fourth year as Associate Director of Track & Field at Carson-Newman. He coached primarily sprinters and hurdlers throughout the season and contributed to six individual entries into the 2023 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Showler-Davis coached two-time national champion, Charamba, through his victories in both the 100 and 200 dash events.
Charamba was named the Men's Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year for his performance at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships and throughout the season. Charamba swept the men's 100 and 200-meter dash events and contributed to the team's second-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay. Charamba ran the men's 100-meter dash in 10.02 seconds before finishing the 200 in 20.19.
"When we first met Maka, we saw a lot of raw talent. It just needed to be focused. Kieran did a great job working with him, and they have such a great relationship. Maka's strength is truly in how he finishes, and this year, he certainly finished well," Needs said.
Kadidja Sangare was named the Women's Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year for her performance at the national meet. Sangre finished sixth in the women's long jump with a 6.11-meter leap. She secured a new personal best in the event and was the highest-placing athlete from the Southeast Region in any field event during the 2023 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
"One of our big focuses this year was to improve our women's team, and we went out to find people who could help us do that. Kadidja was one of those people, and Sade De Sousa was one of those people. Even looking at consistency, we had Sydney McCarty go and compete at nationals as well. For Kadidja, there were people in our region that were ranked higher than her heading into nationals. She went and outperformed all of them. What that says for our women's program is that they have bought in, sold out, and are committed to that level of competition and success," Needs said.
