May 12, 2021

2021 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athletes of the Year

By: SEC Staff
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 12, 2021)—–Auburn’s Joyce Kimeli, LSU’s Lisa Gunnarsson and Florida’s Thomas Mardal have been named the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athletes of the Year by a vote of the league head coaches.

Kimeli has a 3.24 grade point average, and she is a senior majoring in exercise science. She has been a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and is currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in the 3000m steeplechase and No. 11 in the 1500m. The Eldoret, Kenya, native owns seven Auburn school records (two outdoor, five indoor) with three coming in 2021.

Gunnarsson has a 4.13 grade point average in mechanical engineering. The senior is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in the pole vault and set the LSU school record earlier this season at 4.50m/14-9. A native of Paris, France, Gunnarsson was a 2020 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American and was a USTFCCCA Academic Award honoree for the last three years.

Mardal holds a 3.59 grade point average and is pursuing a degree in business administration. The senior from Gloppen, Norway, is currently No. 1 in the NCAA in the men’s hammer throw with a school record set earlier this season. Mardal is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic individual and a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

The SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will take place Thursday-Saturday in Bryan-College Station, Texas.

2021 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Thomas Mardal, Florida Women’s Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Joyce Kimeli, Auburn Women’s Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Lisa Gunnarsson, LSU