BOSTON, Mass. – Clayton State sprinter Eric Simmons was honored as the South Region Men's Track Athlete of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Simmons received his award on Friday night in conjunction with the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championships.

Simmons, a junior from Carrollton, Ga., enjoyed a stellar 2007 indoor season in both the 200-meter and 400-meter dash. He qualified for his second straight NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in the 400-meter dash with the fifth-fastest time in the nation at 47.72 seconds that he set at the Indiana Relays.

In addition, he won the both the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash at the Indiana Relays and the Sewanee Indoor Invitational, the 400-meter dash at the Clemson Opener and the 200-meter dash at the Findlay Classic.

On the women's side, Laker freshman Natasha Gass of Augusta, Ga. was named the South Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year.  Gass set Clayton State's record in the triple jump at 34-7 1/2 and held the team's long jump record until it was broken at the last indoor meet of the season by teammate Jon Taylor.

SIMMONS, KREUTZER COMPETE AT NATIONALS: Both Simmons and Allison Kreutzer had rough showings over the weekend at the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships at Roxbury Community College's Reggie Lewis Center.

Simmons was one of the favorites in the men's 400-meter dash, but was tripped in the final turn of the preliminary run and finished 10th with a time of 48.76 seconds, just missing the finals. Kreutzer, meanwhile, finished 16th in the finals of the women's 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:00.51.