June 13, 2007

In sweeping all of the major titles in front of them, Walter Dix of Florida State and Jake Arnold of Arizona are the 2007 NCAA Division I Outdoor Men's Athletes of the Year.

Dix is the Men's Track Athlete of the Year while Arnold is the Men's Field Athlete of the Year, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced today.

Dix set a collegiate record in the 200 meters and won three events at last week's NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in Sacramento. With his win in the decathlon, Arnold became just the second decathlete to win successive NCAA championships.

Dix, a junior from Coral Springs, Fla., is the first male sprinter since San Jose State's John Carlos in 1969 to win the 100, 200 and 4 x 100 relay at the same NCAA Championships.

Dix won the 100 meters in 9.93 seconds, just missing the NCAA meet record of 9.92, set by UCLA's Ato Boldon in 1996. Dix also ran the second leg on the Florida State sprint relay team that finished first in 38.60. Dix completed his sprint trifecta by successfully defended his 2006 outdoor title in the 200, clocking 20.32.

At the East Regional, Dix set a collegiate record in the 200, clocking 19.69 to move to sixth on the all-time world list.

Arnold, a senior from Santa Rosa, Calif., broke through the 8,000-point barrier in a big way during the NCAA decathlon. Arnold finished with 8,215 points, registering personal bests in 100, 400, 110-meter high hurdles, discus and pole vault.

Arnold's score was the highest winning mark at the NCAA Championships since 1992, and he joined Rob Muzzio of George Mason (1984-85) as the only repeat winner.

Earlier in the season, Arnold won the decathlon at the LSU Combined Events (7,946) and Pacific-10 Conference Championships (7,755). He placed second in the heptathlon at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Bob Braman of Florida State and Greg Kraft of Arizona State are the Division I Men's and Women's Coaches of the Year. For a complete story, see www.ustfccca.org.