Track athletes earn prestigous honors

Junior Ashlee Kidd led the Jackets to victory at the North American, Central American Caribbean (NACAC) Under 23 Track and Field Championships, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Sunday. The Lady Jackets won a Gold medal with a meet record time of 3:29.05 in the 4x400-meter relay team. Kidd was the leadoff leg in the relay.

In addition, Kidd received All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She finished the 400-meter dash at fifth place with a personal-best time of 51.57. The rising senior shocked the region with record-breaking finishes in the 200- and 400-meter dash events. For her stellar performance, she was awarded as the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Most Valuable Performer. She has received three-time All-American honors and counting so far.

Georgia Tech's Brandy Depland, Josh Hammel, Ashlee Kidd, Nisha Kurian, Eric Massey, Jenny Sims and Paul Specht were selected to the inaugural All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Track and Field teams.

Senior Brandy Depland posted a runner-up finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a school record leap of 44 feet, 9 ¾ inches. This was her second consecutive season for earning All-American honors. Depland, a management major, finished her Georgia Tech track and field career as a three-time All-American and a four-time All-ACC honoree.

Sophomore Nisha Kurian has received honors from two sports: track and cross country. She has also been honored as the Magazine All-District III second team selection and as an All-ACC Academic Cross Country selection. She led the Jackets for indoor season in the 3,000 meters (9:55.10) and clocked the top outdoor time for the Jackets in the 1500 meters (4:33.46).

Junior Jenny Sims ran the fastest times of the indoor season for Tech in the 800 meters (2:12.13) and mile (4:52.97). Sims recorded a sixth-place finish in the 800m and a ninth-place finish in the mile at the ACC Indoor Championships.

Junior Josh Hammel clocked a personal-best indoor record of 1:57.91 in the 800 meters at the Kentucky Invitational. He also finished 20th in the 800m at the ACC Indoor Championships.

Fifth-year Senior Eric Massey shattered the school record in the weight throw with a distance of 62 feet, 2 ¼ inches.

He was honored by the ESPN The Magazine for the All-District III second team. Massey threw for a fifth-place finish in the hammer at the ACC Outdoor Championships.

A graduate in electrical engineering, Massey ranks second all-time in school history in the hammer throw event.

Junior Paul Specht ran for a personal-best record in the outdoor events for a time of 16:07.93 in the 5,000 meters to finish third at the Spec Towns Invitational.

Specht also ran for an indoor season-best time of 16:22.37 at the Clemson Invitational.