C-USA names UTEP’s Jevaughn Powell as men’s Track Athlete of the Year

DALLAS, Texas - UTEP track and field’s Jevaughn Powell was named the 2022 Conference USA Men’s Track Athlete of the Year on Thursday as voted on by the league’s head coaches

“Jevaughn had a fantastic year and he made a big leap forward as an athlete during this outdoor season,” UTEP Head Coach Mika Laaksonen said. “He wasn’t able to run his best race yet in the 400-meter final at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but will be a force to be reckoned with next year as a junior. I’m proud of his accomplishments and believe that the best is yet to come.”

Powell earned first team All-American honors at the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championship, clocking in a 45.81 time in the men’s 400-meter final to close out his sophomore campaign while edging out Ohio State’s Tyler Johnson (45.83) for a seventh-place finish.

Powell was the first Miner since Bert Cameron (1983) to earn first team All-American honors in the men’s 400.

Powell is also the first Miner since 2018 (Michael Saruni – 800m) to earn first team All-American honors.

At the West Preliminaries, Powell blazed past the competition and clocked in a personal-best 44.87 in the quarterfinals in Fayetteville, Ark., to advance to Eugene. Powell’s 44.87 ranks third on the program’s all-time 400m list.

At the 2022 C-USA Outdoor Championships, Powell captured four medals. He claimed gold in the 400 (46.02), while capturing silver in the 200m (20.73) and 4x400 (3:10.83), and adding a bronze medal in the 4x100 (40.75).

At the C-USA Indoor Championships, Powell took silver in the 400 (47.36) and 4x400 (3:14.65).

During the outdoor regular season, Powell opened with a victory in the 400 (46.17) at the Sun Angel Classic Invitational. Powell also claimed first-place victories in the 400 at the Bryan Clay Invitational (46.56) and Desert Heat Classic (45.29).

Powell also won a 200-meter event at the Don Kirby Tailwind Open (20.33w [2.6]).

Powell is the first Miner since Michael Saruni (2018) to be named C-USA Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.

For the program, it’s the sixth time since 2013 a UTEP men’s track competitor was named athlete of the year – Anthony Rotich (2013-2015), Emmanuel Korir (2017) and Saruni (2018).

This also marks the second consecutive season in which a UTEP men’s student-athlete won athlete of the year after Paulo Benavides was named C-USA Co-Men’s Field Athlete of the Year.