Bougard Named SEC Freshman Field Athlete Of The Year
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's Erica Bougard has been named the SEC Freshman Field Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Friday.
"This is a tremendous honor for Erica," coach Steve Dudley said. "She adds her name to a long list of great track and field athletes, and this is just the beginning for her. With the hard work that she puts in there will be no limit to the success Erica can see."
Currently ranked fifth nationally in the pentathlon, Bougard placed second in the event at the league championships, earning the Byhalia, Miss., native second team all-SEC honors, as well as a spot on the SEC all-freshman team.
Bougard also finds herself ranked second in the SEC this year and first all-time at MSU in the pentathlon with her score of 4109 points at the SEC championships, but the pentathlon is not the freshman's only event. Bougard also finds herself ranked in the SEC this year in the long jump (seventh), triple jump (12th) and the 60-meter hurdles (15th).
Along with her rankings in the SEC, Bougard is ranked on the MSU all-time list in the triple jump (third), the long jump (fourth) and as a member of the No. 1 ranked 4x400-meter relay that also includes teammates Jody-Ann Muir, Brittney Covington and Ocian Archer.
Bougard and the Lady Bulldogs will return to action Saturday at the Alabama Last Chance Qualifier in Birmingham.