LEVELLAND — South Plains College track and field head coach Erik Vance added to his growing list of accolades on Thursday as he was named the 2018 USTFCCCA Men's Indoor National Head Coach of the Year.
Vance led the Texans to the 2018 NJCAA Men's Indoor National Championship this season, picking up his second national title at the helm of the South Plains program. Vance coached 22 athletes who finished the indoor season ranked inside the top 10 in their respective events, including freshman Holland Martin who won the men's triple jump and set the top mark in the country with a jump of 52' 8.25" at nationals.
The Lady Texans earned national runner-up honors in 2018, guided by South Plains assistant coach Justin Hobbs. For his efforts, Hobbs was named the 2018 USTFCCCA Women's Indoor National Assistant Coach of the Year. Hobbs coached freshman Jelena Rowe to an NJCAA record in the women's high jump with a mark of 6' 0.5" set at the Charlie Thomas Invitational on Feb. 2. Hobbs also coached the Lady Texan 4x400 relay team who set the fastest indoor time in the county this season with a 3:42.43.
Martin earned national recognition for his performance at nationals as he was named the 2018 USTFCCCA National Men's Field Athlete of the Year. Martin's championship mark at the national meet helped the Texans pick up their first indoor title since 2015, and also ranks 16th all-time in the NJCAA.