2013 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Athletes of the Year

New Orleans, LA – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has officially announced Academy of Art University senior Vashti Thomas as the National Track Athlete of the Year for the 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field season as chosen by the nation's coaches. An instrumental part in the Urban Knights' first-ever National Championship this past weekend, Thomas did something essentially unheard of, scoring in five individual events for her squad over a two-day span.

"To me, being the Track Athlete of the Year just means that people are taking notice of what I'm doing, but honestly, I just want people to see the Academy of Art University name on my uniform and the team that I'm blessed to run with because that is what matters most."

A dynamic and versatile athletic talent, Thomas scored 35 of the Urban Knights' 59 team points, including individual titles in the long jump (20-0.75/6.19m) and at 200 meters in 23.428 – just .002 ahead of runner-up Danielle Williams of Johnson C. Smith.

"There really are no proper words to properly articulate how proud I am of Ms. Thomas," Coach Ryan said. "What she set out to attempt has never been done before. It's not even a rational thing to do: five events, prelims, and finals all in one championship is just not done in this sport. She could have easily picked out one or two events, focused on those, and went out to break some records, but she wanted to do all she could to deliver history for this program."

"I would like to most definitely recognize my coaches, Charles Ryan, Lamont Johnson, and Lauren Smith," Thomas said. "They are the best and I also want to recognize all my teammates because they get me through the tough times in practice and they are the reason why I work so hard."

Thomas also finished runner-up in the 60 hurdles finals (8.16), fourth in the triple jump (41-0.5/12.51m), and seventh at 60 meters (7.54). Including both preliminary and final rounds, Thomas competed eight different times, with events often overlapping one another.

"For me, [competing for a National Championship] was definitely a test of my mental strength," Thomas said. "I knew I had to keep it together no matter what was going on. I didn't want my teammates to see me freaking out or get them worried. It was tough and there were many ups and downs, but overall it was an amazing experience not only because we won, but because we didn't give up and we did it together."

Thomas is far from done in 2013. She will soon return to regular competiton as ART U's outdoor track & field season continues this weekend.