May 3, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today the men's outdoor track & field accolades for the 2007 season as voted on by the league's head coaches, and two Tar Heels, Nick Owens and Mateo Sossah, headlined the honorees.

Owens was named the ACC Meet Most Valuable Field Performer and Sossah picked up Freshman of the Year honors as Carolina took two of the four awards. Additionally, Florida State's Walter Dix was named as the ACC Meet Most Valuable Track Performer and the Seminoles' Bob Braman was named ACC Coach of the Year.

Owens capped off an outstanding ACC Championship performance by finishing first in the hammer throw and second in the discus. Owens, a senior from Shelton, Wash., won his second career ACC title in the hammer throw with a toss of 223-3 on his fifth of six attempts to win the event. Owens followed up his championship performance in the hammer throw with a runner-up finish in the men's discus, posting a 178-3 mark on his final attempt to place second to Virginia's Yemi Ayeni.

Sossah used a strong finish in the final events of the decathlon to claim an ACC title in the event. In becoming the first Tar Heel to win the decathlon since Dennis McGorty in 1990, the Mon-en-Baroeul, France, freshman totaled 7,310 points in the event, the top mark in the ACC this season and the fifth-best mark in school history. He joins Owens, who earned Freshman of the Year accolades in 2004, as the only two Tar Heels to receive the award.

Walter Dix played a key role in the Seminoles' third-straight ACC Championship, capturing the 200 meter crown and running the second leg on the Seminoles' top-ranked 4x100 meter relay team that posted an ACC outdoor record time of 37.78. The Coral Springs, Fla., junior took home the ACC title in the 200 meters for the second time in three years, running 20.19 in the finals.

Bob Braman was honored as the league's Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year after guiding Florida State to its third straight outdoor championship. Under Braman's tutelage, the Seminoles out-distanced runner-up Clemson by 47.5 points, capturing five individual event titles and the 4x100 meter relay. Florida State is currently ranked No. 1 in both the Trackwire and the US Track & Field, Cross Country Coaches Association polls.