March 6, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Clemson's Travis Padgett and Miami's Krista Simkins have been selected as the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's and Women's Indoor Track Performers of the Year, respectively, as determined by a vote of the league's 12 head coaches.

Padgett, a junior sprinter from Shelby, N.C., claimed the ACC's individual title in the 60-meter dash last week at the 2008 league Indoor Track & Field Championships, and finished fourth in the 200-meter dash. The 2007 NCAA Champion in the 60-meter dash, Padgett's 6.62 mark from last week is the ACC's second-fastest time this season and the fifth-fastest in the nation in 2008.

Miami's Simkins was victorious in both the 200- and 400-meter dash at last week's championships, posting times of 23.65 and 53.84, respectively, in the two events. A junior from Ambler, Pa., she currently holds the top ACC times of 2008 in both events, and ranks among the nation's top 15 in each.

Winning this year's Field Performer of the Year awards are Florida State's Gonzalo Barroilet on the men's side and Virginia Tech's Brittany Pryor for the women. Barroilet, a freshman from Santiago, Chile, piled up 5,765 points in the heptathlon at this year's ACC Championships, breaking both the league record and meet record en route to claiming the first conference title of his career. The Hokies' Pryor successfully defended her title in the shot put at last week's meet, and also took top honors in the weight throw with a season-best mark of 65'11.50." The Niagara Falls, N.Y., junior is currently a provisional NCAA qualifier in both events.

In addition to his Field Performer of the Years honors, Florida State's Barroilet was also voted the 2008 ACC Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year. Fellow Seminole Kim Williams was chosen as the league's top rookie on the women's side. Williams, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, was this year's ACC individual champion in the triple jump and took second-place in the long jump. The Seminole freshman has the nation's top mark in the triple jump this season.

Taking home this year's Men's and Women's Coach of the Year honors, respectively, are Georgia Tech's Grover Hinsdale and Virginia Tech's Dave Cianelli. Hinsdale's Yellow Jackets took second-place at this year's championships, tying their best team performance in history and improving upon last year's fourth-place finish. Under Cianelli, the Hokie women won their second-straight team title, winning this year's championships by the largest overall margin since 1998 and taking first-place in six of the meet's 17 events.