Auburn, Ala.—Auburn redshirt freshmen Madi Malone has been named the Southeastern Conference Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year, the conference office announced Tuesday. Malone is the first Auburn athlete to win the award since its inception in 2004.
Malone broke the Auburn school record in the weight throw February 23 during the SEC Indoor Championships where she finished second in the event. Her record throw of 22.11m/72-6.5 was good enough for the ninth-best mark in the country and the top weight throw mark nationally among all freshman. She was the highest scoring freshmen in all field events at the conference championships.
The Wichita, Kan., native will compete at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Birmingham (Ala.) CrossPlex on Saturday, March 9 at 4:30 p.m. CT. She is the fourth Tiger in school history to qualify for indoor nationals in the weight throw joining Jasmine Manigault (2017), Ronda Gullatte (2006) and Stacy Martin (2004, '02).
Malone is first freshman to win an SEC indoor postseason award since Shelly-Ann Gallimore was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2000 and first to win an SEC indoor award since Kerron Stewart was named SEC Runner of the Year in 2007.
The SEC Indoor awards are voted on by the league's 15 head coaches. The entire list of 12 SEC Indoor Track and Field Awards are listed below.
2019 SEC Indoor Track and Field Awards
Men's Runner of the Year: Grant Holloway, Florida
Men's Field Athlete of the Year: Mondo Duplantis, LSU
Men's Freshman Runner of the Year: Mario Garcia Romo, Ole Miss
Men's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Mondo Duplantis, LSU
Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Gabe Moore, Arkansas
Men's Coach of the Year: Mike Holloway, Florida
Women's Runner of the Year: Payton Chadwick, Arkansas
Women's Field Athlete of the Year: Yanis David, Florida
Women's Freshman Runner of the Year: Lauren Gregory, Arkansas
Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Madi Malone, Auburn
Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Taylor Werner, Arkansas
Women's Coach of the Year: Lance Harter, Arkansas