ATLANTA, Ga. (May 13, 2024) - In the 2024 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Women's Track and Field Championship, Piedmont's Nakiyah Washington stood out brilliantly, earning both the Field Athlete of the Meet and Overall Athlete of the Meet accolades. In parallel, Berea's Carah Anteck also showcased exceptional talent, securing the Track Athlete of the Meet award, while Belhaven's Ashaunti Barnes claimed the Athlete of the Year title. 
Belhaven's Syniah Sims made a remarkable debut with the Blazers, earning Women's Rookie of the Year honors. Additionally, Berea's Mike Thomas, celebrated for his outstanding coaching, was selected as the Women's Track and Field Coach of the Year.
The superlative awards were determined through a vote by the conference's head coaches, with selections and meet awards based on the standout performances at this year's CCS Track & Field Championship meet.
 
Track Athlete of the Meet | Carah Anteck, Berea
Anteck emerged as the top scorer in track events contributing 28 points by soaring to victories in two races, securing individual titles in both the 3,000m steeplechase and the demanding 10,000m race. Despite facing fierce competition, she displayed remarkable versatility and endurance placing fifth in both the women's 1,500m and the women's 5,000m run. 

Field Athlete of the Meet & Overall Athlete of the Meet | Nakiyah Washington, Piedmont
Washington showcased her prowess in multiple field events amassing a total of 32 points for the Lions at the recent CCS Championship. The graduate student dominated the shot put event with a winning throw of 12.48 meters, edging out the competition by 1.44 meters. In the javelin throw, she claimed another victory with a remarkable personal best distance of 33.92 meters. Additionally, the Georgia native secured commendable third-place finishes in two other events. In the discus throw, she had a throw of 36.67 meters, while in the hammer throw, she achieved a personal record distance of 39.53 meters earning her additional spots on the podium.
 
Athlete of the Year | Ashaunti Barnes, Belhaven
Barnes secured the CCS individual championship title in the 400 meters, adding to her collection of championship titles from three separate meets. Her impressive performance also earned her qualification for the NCAA Championship, achieving a time of 56.52 seconds. The senior sprinter also collected a third-place finish in the 200m race with a time of 25.36 and has been honored with the CCS Track Athlete of the Week four times this season.
 
Rookie of the Year | Syniah Sims, Belhaven
Sims triumphed as the individual champion in the 100 meters race with a time of 11.95. This victory added to a string of successes, including wins in the 100 meters at two additional meets and a triumph in the 200 meters at the Belhaven Invitational. The freshman runner made an impressive performance earning her qualification for the NCAA Championship in the 100 meters category. In total, the Georgia native has been named CCS Rookie Track Athlete of the Week five times this season, making an impressive run in her first year with the Blazers. 
 
Coach of the Year | Mike Thomas, Berea
Under Mike Thomas's guidance, the Berea Mountaineers achieved a historic milestone, securing their first-ever women's CCS Championship title while the men's program secured a commendable second-place finish. Thomas' coaching prowess was evident as 28 of his student-athletes earned recognition by being named to this year's all-conference team, highlighting his ability to nurture talent and build a strong team. The women's team's impressive performance was reflected in their remarkable score of 259 points in the CCS Championship.
 
Superlative Awards
Track Athlete of the Meet - Carah Anteck, Berea
Field Athlete of the Meet - Nakiyah Washington, Piedmont
Overall Athlete of the Meet - Nakiyah Washington, Piedmont
Athlete of the Year – Ashaunti Barnes, Belhaven
Rookie of the Year – Syniah Sims, Belhaven
Coach of the Year – Mike Thomas, Berea
 
Women's Track and Field All-Conference Teams
First Team

Hammer	Lauren Myers	Maryville
High Jump	Emma Christensen	Covenant
Javelin	Nakiyah Washington	Piedmont
Long Jump	Jakeisha Lewis	Berea
Shot Put	Nakiyah Washington	Piedmont
Discus	Allie Feltus	Piedmont
Pole Vault	Sarah Holler	Covenant
Triple Jump	Ashyia Maddickes	Berea
Steeple	Carah Anteck	Berea
10,000 Meter Run	Carah Anteck	Berea
4x100m	D'Asia Franklin Evelle Dillon Anneshia Greer Jakia Joiner	Belhaven
1500m	Madison Stonestreet	Berea
100 Hurdles	Jaleesa Herman	Berea
400m	Ashaunti Barnes	Belhaven
100m	Syniah Sims	Belhaven
800m	Kristin Fischli	Berea
400 Hurdles	Michelle Cates	Piedmont
200m	Kymiah Blair	Berea
5,000m	Madison Stonestreet	Berea
4x400m	Kristin Fischli Ashyia Maddickes Liberte Mack Kymiah Blair	Berea

Second Team

Hammer	Jelecia Brown	Belhaven
High Jump	Evelle Dillon	Belhaven
Javelin	Cortney Brown	Piedmont
Long Jump	Zoe Harrison	Piedmont
Shot Put	Kayla Ward	Piedmont
Discus	Emily Lane	Covenant
Pole Vault	Angel Patterson	Berea
Triple Jump	Jakia Joiner	Belhaven
Steeple	Skyler Seeber	Piedmont
10,000 Meter Run	Evangelia Berry	Covenant
4x100m	Ileyna Brooks Keyuna Peebles Zoe Harrison Allison Cantrell	Piedmont
1500m	Muhorakeye Joyeuse	Berea
100 Hurdles	Michelle Cates	Piedmont
400m	Kimona Haynes	Belhaven
100m	Kymiah Blair	Berea
800m	Muhorakeye Joyeuse	Berea
400 Hurdles	Jakeisha Lewis	Berea
200m	Kimona Haynes	Belhaven
5,000m	Skyler Seeber	Piedmont
4x400m	Taylar Fakes Myisha Turner D'Asia Franklin Evelle Dillon	Belhaven

Third Team

Hammer	Nakiyah Washington	Piedmont
High Jump	Ashyia Maddickes	Berea
Javelin	Emily Lane	Covenant
Long Jump	Ashyia Maddickes	Berea
Shot Put	Cortney Brown	Piedmont
Discus	Nakiyah Washington	Piedmont
Pole Vault	Victoria Drouin	Piedmont
Triple Jump	Kai Doyle	Piedmont
Steeple	Chrystal Cornwell	Berea
10,000 Meter Run	Hannah Marlowe	Piedmont
4x100m	Angel Patterson Jerneisha Lewis Jaleesa Herman Katerina Kovalevskaya	Berea
1500m	Lydia Dorman	Covenant
100 Hurdles	D'Asia Franklin	Belhaven
400m	Kymiah Blair	Berea
100m	Evelle Dillon	Belhaven
800m	Liberte Mack	Berea
400 Hurdles	Rhiannon Sevier	Huntingdon
200m	Ashaunti Barnes	Belhaven
5,000m	Muhorakeye Joyeuse	Berea
4x400m	Ileyna Brooks Michelle Cates Bella Caccamo Victoria Drouin	Piedmont

All-Sportsmanship Team

Kimona Haynes	Belhaven
Carah Anteck	Berea
Lydia Dorman	Covenant
Trinity Treadway	Huntingdon
Alana Rodriguez	Maryville
Victoria Drouin	Piedmont
Isabelle Beach	Wesleyan