USC Holds Annual Out Of The Blocks Banquet

Photo by: Hali Helfgott

USC Holds Annual Out Of The Blocks Banquet

December 02, 2018 | Track & Field, Features

Allyson Felix, Eva Orban and Dan Lange received Heritage Awards and the 2018 team awards were presented at the annual USC Out of the Blocks Track & Field Banquet at the Town & Gown on the Trojan campus today (Dec. 2). The Heritage Awards are given out annually to recognize those individuals who have contributed to the great tradition of track and field at USC.

Allyson Felix is the most decorated U.S. women's track and field Olympic athlete ever with nine career medals, including winning six gold medals. She is also tied for the most Olympic women's track and field medals won (9) in the world all-time. Her six Olympic golds are tied with swimmers Jenny Thompson and Amy Van Dyken for the most ever by a USA woman in Olympic competition. In all international events representing the U.S., Felix has won 24 golds, eight silvers and four bronze medals. Felix is a six-time 200m and three-time 400m USA Champion and has been named the Jesse Owens Award recipient as the USATF Athlete of the Year five times. She committed to USC out of high school, but turned pro before competing. She returned to USC and received a degree in Elementary Education in 2008.

Eva Orban (USC, 2009) is the USC record holder in the hammer throw (230-3/70.18m) and the school freshman record holder in the event (226-8/69.10m). She set the Pac-12 record in the hammer throw of 230-3 in 2008 which remained the Conference's standard until the 2017 season. Orban won the 2008 NCAA hammer throw title and finished in the top three in the country all four seasons. She also won the Pac-12 hammer throw title twice. She is a three-time Olympian in the hammer throw for her native Hungary and has competed in six World Championships. She is Hungary's record-holder in the hammer throw with a mark of 240-11 (73.44m) set in 2013.

Dan Lange (USC Throws Coach) is in his 30^th season as the coach of USC's throwers and has coached 66 All-Americans. He has guided USC athletes to 11 NCAA titles, 12 school records and 28 individual Pac-12 titles. All but one of the men's and women's all-time top 10 hammer throwers in USC history have been coached by Lange and all but one of the USC men's and women's record holders in the hammer, discus, javelin and shot put have been tutored by Lange. Six of his athletes have gone on to compete in the Olympics, including 1996 Olympic hammer throw gold medalist Balazs Kiss.

The following is the list of the USC award-winners for the 2018 season. The 2019 NCAA indoor season will begin on January 18.

HERITAGE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Allyson Felix
Eva Orban
Dan Lange

2018 USC T&F AWARD WINNERS
Men's Academic Award                                                         Matthew Myrtue
Women's Academic Award                                                   Anna Cockrell
Coach's Award                                                                      Alexander Barnum, Anna Cockrell, Courtney Corrin, Kennedy Gillian, Amber Gore, Breana Jemison, Ricky Morgan Jr.
Mike Simmons Fight On Award                                            Angie Annelus, Deanna Hill
Men's Come Thru Performance Award                                Michael Gonzalez, Randall Cunningham
Women's Come Thru Performance Award                           Angie Annelus, Chloe Berry, Madisen Richards, Kaelin Roberts
Men's Most Improved Award                                                           Nathan Bultman, Robert Ford
Women's Most Improved Award                                          Lyndsey Lopes, Mecca McGlaston
Cross Country Leadership Award                                        Amber Gore
Most Valuable Male Athlete                                                  Rai Benjamin, Michael Norman
Most Valuable Women Athlete                                             Deanna Hill, TeeTee Terry
Dean Cromwell Most Outstanding Male Athlete                Rai Benjamin, Michael Norman
Katherine Loker Most Outstanding Women Athlete                      Kendall Ellis
Men's Freshman Impact Performance                                 Cameron Samuel, Earnest Sears, Zach Shinnick
Women's Freshman Impact Performance                           Chanel Brissett, TeeTee Terry