April 25, 2002

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Clemson's Dwight Thomas and Jamine Moton were selected as Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track and Field Performers of the Year in a vote by the league's nine head coaches. The coaches also selected Clemson's George Kitchens and North Carolina's Laura Gerraughty as the league's Rookies of the Year. Florida State head coach Terry Long earned men's coach of the year, while North Carolina's Dennis Craddock was named women's coach of the year.

Thomas, a redshirt freshman from Burtonsville, Maryland won three events on the final day of the ACC Championships at Charlottesville, Va. He provisonally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 meters (10.27) and 110 hurdles (13.74). Thomas also won the 200 meters with a time of 20.73. He automatically qualified for that event earlier in the season.

Moton, a senior from Glassboro, N.J., set new records and automatically qualified for the NCAA's in winning the shot put and hammer throw. She set a new conference and ACC meet record in the hammer with a throw of 206'01.00 and a new ACC Meet record with a mark of 55'05.50 in the shot put. Moton placed third in the discus, but automatically qualified earlier in the season. She has won 13 ACC Championship throwing events during her career.

Kitchens, a freshman from Hephzibah, Ga., finished second in the long jump at the ACC Championships with a mark 24'07.25. His jump is the second best in the league this season.

Gerraughty, a freshman from Nashua, N.H., made all-conference in three events, helping North Carolina to its second consecutive ACC Outdoor Title. She finished second and automatically qualified in both the hammer (193'05.00) and shot put (53'10.25). Gerraughty also placed second in the discus with a throw of 165'05.00.

Seminole head coach Terry Long won his first coach of the year award after leading Florida State to its first ACC men's outdoor track championship. The Seminoles had finished second the previous two seasons.

Craddock earns the women's outdoor coach of the year honor for the 15th time in his career, 12 of which have been at North Carolina. The Tar Heels captured their second consecutive ACC Outdoor Championship and 13th overall.