James is SEC Freshman of the Year
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (CMC) — Grenada’s University of Alabama standout teenager Kirani James has been named South-eastern Conference (SEC) Freshman Runner of the Year.
James, 17, began his scholarship in Alabama in January and has already posted a 400-metre world junior and school (indoor) record 45.24 seconds, which is the second fastest time in the world so far this year.
He was voted for the SEC honour by the league’s head coaches.
The Gouyave native is the second Alabama athlete to win the award after the Kenya-born distance runner Emmanuel Bor won in 2007.
At the SEC Championships last month, James earned All-SEC honours when he used his superb 45.24 clocking to place second in the 400.
Georgia’s SEC champion Torrin Lawrence, a 21-year-old American, won that SEC event in a world-leading 45.03.
James, one of the brightest prospects ever to emerge from the Caribbean, led the Alabama 4×400 relay to their highest finish at the SEC Championships since 1999, when they were third.
At last year’s CARIFTA Games in St Lucia, James broke Usain Bolt’s 400-metre record with a 45.45 clocking.
James has already won gold medals at several major international meets, including 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in India; the 2009 Pan American Juniors in Trinidad; and the IAAF World Youth Championship in Italy last year when he won the 200 and 400 metres in a meet record 45.24 seconds.