West Babylon, N.Y. – The East Coast Conference announced the recipients of its Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year award on Thursday afternoon. Nishorn Pierre (Grenada) and Aniyah Russell (Jackson, N.J.) of Georgian Court were the winners for their respective gender.
Pierre, a three-time ECC Athlete of the Week honoree, is the Men’s Athlete of the Year after qualifying for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championship in the high jump. He currently ranks fifth in all of Division II in the event, with a best leap of 2.18m accomplished at the Spartan Invitational in January. He won the high jump at the ECC Championship, as well, with a mark of 2.03m. Pierre also excelled in the long jump and triple jump. He was the ECC Champion in the long jump (6.94m) and finished in second in the triple jump in all three meets he competed in the event (ECC Championship – 14.97m, Fastrack National Invitational – 14.85m, NYC Gotham Cup – 14.80m).
Pierre was also chosen by the conference’s coaches as the Men’s Most Outstanding Athlete of the ECC Championship. His aforementioned effort at the ECC Championship was good for 28 points to help the Tigers finish as co-champions.
On the women's side, Russell repeats as the ECC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Russell excels in the long jump and like Pierre, also qualified for the NCAA Championship meet. In seven indoor meets, Russell won the long jump in five, with her best jump coming at the ECC Championship with a meet record of 6.07m. That ranks her sixth in all of Division II heading into the National Championship. Russell also competed in the triple jump twice, with her best mark of 11.30m coming at the ECC Championship to finish in second place.
Kayla Cooper of the University of the District of Columbia was selected as the Women’s Most Outstanding Athlete of the ECC Championship. Cooper was the ECC champion in both the 60m (7.79) and 200m (25.45) to earn 20 points for the Firebirds.
Mike Murawski of Georgian Court and Dwight Brandon of Holy Family share the ECC Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year honors on the men's side after the Lions and Tigers tied for the league’s championship. This is the fourth straight year Murawski has earned the honor and the first time for Brandon on the men’s side.
Brandon also earns the Coach of the Year award for the women after the Tigers repeated as ECC Champions.
The ECC previously announced its All-Conference honorees based on finishing place at the ECC Championship. Those honorees can be found here.
