Tulane Track Garners State Honors
Jul 3, 2002 | Track & Field
July 3, 2002
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane University senior Solomon Kandie (Nairobi, Kenya) and freshman Helmi Leppanen (Kerava, Finland) both earned major track and field awards from the Louisiana Sportswriters Association. Kandie was named the Men's Track Athlete of the Year for the state of Louisiana, while Leppanen collected Women's Freshman of the Year honors.
Kandie earned All-America honors for the third straight year by finishing third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a school record time. Kandie also won the steeplechase and the 1,500 meters, while taking second in the 5,000-meters at the Conference USA Championships. During the indoor season, Kandie took second place in the mile and fifth in the 3,000, while anchoring the winning distance-medley relay squad.
Leppanen was the Green Wave's only women's qualifier for the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the finished 15th in the javelin at the meet. She set school records in the javelin and the heptathlon during her debut year with the Olive and Blue, while also posting the second best shot put in school history. At the Conference USA Outdoor Championship, she won the javelin with a C-USA record throw and took fourth in the heptathlon and fifth in the shot put.
In addition to Kandie and Leppanen, nine other Green Wave student-athletes earned All-Louisiana recognition. The top three performers in each event from the state receive All-Louisiana distinction. For the Wave men, senior Clement Abai (Port Moresby, New Guinea) earned state honors in the 800 meters. Freshmen Phillip Aagaard (Linkoping, Sweden) and Erik Emilsson (Bjarred, Sweden) were honored for the 1,500 meters and the 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively. Kandie qualified in both the steeplechase and the 5,000 meters. On the women's side, senior Asha James (Pickering, Ontario) was among the best in the 200 meters; sophomore Carlyne Pradieu (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and junior Eva Lustigova (Liberec, Czech Republic) both qualified in the 800 meters; freshman Ellen Vollmers was named in the pole vault; and freshman Jelena Jurlina (Zadar, Croatia) earned honors for the discus. Leppanen was All-Louisiana in three events: shot put, javelin and heptathlon. In addition, Tulane's 4x100 and 4x400 Relay teams garnered state recognition.
Other major award winners were LSU's Walter Davis (Male Field Athlete of the Year), LSU's Bennie Brazell (Male Freshman of the Year), Louisiana Lafayette's Lawrence Willis (Male Newcomer of the Year), LSU's Muna Lee (Female Track Athlete of the Year) LSU's Nicole Tony (Women's Field Athlete and Newcomer of the Year). Pat Henry of LSU was named both the women's and men's coach of the year in the state after leading LSU to a women's indoor national championship and a men's outdoor championship.
Players Mentioned
