NEW ORLEANS – Alabama track and field's Derek Yush was named the South Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year by a vote of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), it was announced Friday.

"We have an amazing staff here at The University of Alabama who have gotten tremendous buy in from our student-athletes, which has made us strong across the board, in all event areas," UA head coach Dan Waters said. "This honor is a testimony to the great job Coach Yush has done with our throwers during his two seasons in Tuscaloosa."

It is the first women's assistant coach regional honor for Alabama and the first for the UA staff since Doug Reynolds and Matt Kane won back-to-back men's assistant coach of the year honors in 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Under Yush's tutelage, the Crimson Tide qualified four throwers to the women's NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be held in Austin, Texas, next week. Alabama also took first and second at the SEC Championships in the shot put.

Senior Portious Warren , the SEC and NCAA East Preliminary shot put champion, posted the No. 1 shot put mark in the NCAA this season with a school record toss of 61-0.75 (18.61m), which ranks her in the top-10 in the world in 2019. Senior Haley Teel (shot put) along with sophomores Nickolette Dunbar (shot put) and Samantha Zelden (javelin) also qualified for next week's national championships.

The Crimson Tide men have also had a big year in the throws with senior Kord Ferguson winning the SEC discus throw and being one of three UA throwers to advance to the men's NCAA Championships. Ferguson will compete in the discus and shot put in Austin, while freshmen Bobby Colantonio Jr. (hammer) and Chago Basso (shot put) will also be on hand.

Alabama returns to action at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, that gets underway June 5 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas on the University of Texas campus.

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