Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer

Two United States-based Jamaican coaches, Victor Thomas and Soyini Thompson-Murray, were recently honoured by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for their teams' performances this season.

Thomas, the head coach of Lincoln University in Missouri, was honoured for his team's performances indoors. He was named south regional coach of the year for the fourth time.

Making a big mark

A former coach of Camperdown and St Andrew Technical High schools, Thomas has been making a big mark since he started coaching in the United States. Before taking up the post of head coach at Lincoln University he was an assistant coach at Garden Webb University, also a Division II team.

"It is a great feeling to know that you are being recognised for your efforts and I will continue to use things like this as a means of motivation," said Thomas.

"What is more important to me about getting this award is to know that this was done by my colleagues in the division,'' he concluded.

Soyini Thompson-Murray a past student of Ferncourt and Vere Technical High Schools and who was coached by Thomas some years ago at Garden-Webb was named the south regional assistant coach of the year. Thompson-Murray is in her third season as the assistant coach of the University of Alabama in Huntsville.