NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina junior
Melissa Jefferson was named the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Women's Indoor Track Performer of the Year, the league office announced on Wednesday.
A two-time 2022 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Champion, a 2022 All-Sun Belt first-team honoree, and three-time 2022 Sun Belt Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Week award winner, Jefferson adds to her accolades with the most recent honor.
Jefferson had a record-setting performance on day two of the conference championship meet, as the junior sprinter won the gold medal in the 60-meter dash with a CCU school and Sun Belt Conference record time of 7.22. She crossed the finish line 0.17 of a second faster than the next finisher.
The third-year Chant went on to claim first-place honors in record-setting fashion again in the 200-meters, as Jefferson won the event with a Sun Belt meet record time of 23.39 to become a two-time Sun Belt Indoor Champion in 2022.
Overall at the Sun Belt Championship meet, Jefferson set two SBC records, won two events, and earned 20 points for her team.
Jefferson will next compete at the 2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, racing in the 60-meter dash. Her qualifying time of 7.22 in the event is first in the Sun Belt Conference and 12th nationally.
She is the first Chanticleer to qualify for the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships since Erica Peake in 2013.
The two-day championship meet will take place on March 11-12 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.
The third-year Chant was also a 2021 All-Sun Belt second-team honor for the indoor season and was both the 2020 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year and 2020 Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year.
On top of Jefferson's overall award, the Chanticleers' indoor track & field women's team had several All-Sun Belt honorees. See the full list below.
2022 Sun Belt Women's Indoor All-Conference First Team
Jermaisha Arnold, Coastal Carolina
Lee-Anne Blake, Texas State
Jade Bontke, UTA
Sophie Daigle, Louisiana
Emma Devis, Georgia State
Marine Garnier, Georgia State
Melissa Jefferson, Coastal Carolina
Abigail Kelly-Salo, UTA
Maja Kuessner, Troy
Morgan Manley, Georgia State
Anouk Prop, Georgia State
Serenity Rogers, Louisiana
Peighton Simmons, App State
Edita Sklenska, Troy
Tatyana Terrell, UTA
Vanessa Ugorji, UTA
Anayah Washington, Texas State
Shelby West, UTA
Alyssa Wilson, Texas State
2022 Sun Belt Women's Indoor All-Conference Second Team
Shani'a Bellamy, Coastal Carolina
Rainee Bowers, Arkansas State
Riley Caudil, South Alabama
Namibia Clavier, Arkansas State
Kiana Foster, Louisiana
Iyana Gray, UTA
Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi, ULM
Mekenze Kelley, Coastal Carolina
Sophie Leathers, Arkansas State
Marina McDonough, Arkansas State
Nya McGowan, Coastal Carolina
Cheyenne Melvin, Arkansas State
Camryn Newton-Smith, Arkansas State
Sophie Oury, Arkansas State
Madeleine Rowe, UTA
Brianna Sam, ULM
Katherine Stuckly, Texas State
Colette Uys, South Alabama
2022 Sun Belt Women's Indoor All-Conference Third Team
Scovia Ayikoru, Georgia Southern
Lauren Beauchamp, Arkansas State
Jada Branch, App State
Sydney Clemens, Coastal Carolina
Jasmine Donohue, App State
Vennessa Frank, Troy
Chastery Fuamatu, Arkansas State
Sadi Giles, Texas State
Evangelynn Harris, Arkansas State
Karsyn Kane, App State
Maya Kelly, Troy
Araybian Lilly, App State
Adele Magaud, South Alabama
Elizabeth Martin, Arkansas State
Shemia Odaine, Louisiana
Alexandria Rankin, Troy
Rebekka Schubert, ULM
Alexis Svoboda, App State
Sarah Trammell, Arkansas State
For complete coverage of CCU Cross Country and Track & Field, follow the Chanticleers on social media at @CoastalTFXC (Twitter), @GoCCUsports (Instagram), and facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
