Norwood earns LSU track honors

A Morgan City High School alum and current LSU standout track team member was recognized during the LSU Track & Field program’s fifth annual Team Awards and Alumni Recognition Banquet Oct. 24 at the Carl Maddox Field House.
Vernon Norwood received three awards, including the Glenn “Slats” Hardin Award, which honors the Most Outstanding Male Performer of the Year. He also received the Most Outstanding Track Athlete Award and the Newcomer of the Year Award for the men’s team.
Norwood was a four-time All-American and a four-time All-SEC performer in his debut season with the Tigers in 2014.
After winning All-America honors as the NCAA Indoor silver medalist in the 400-meter dash, Norwood anchored the Tigers to a national championship in the 4x400-meter relay as they captured the NCAA Indoor crown with a winning time of 3 minutes, 4.54 seconds. Norwood ran a 44.52-second split in the national final.
In the outdoor season, Norwood won a pair of NCAA bronze medals in the 400 meters and 4x400-meter relay in his debut at the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Norwood set personal bests of 45.39 indoors and 45.02 outdoors as one of the emerging 400-meter talents in the United States during his first year at LSU.
The Glenn “Slats” Hardin Award is named in honor of the greatest track and field athlete to ever compete for the LSU program. Hardin was a four-time NCAA champion and six-time All-American during his career at LSU from 1933-35. He was a member of LSU’s first national championship team in 1933, where he captured individual titles in the 440-yard dash and 220-yard low hurdles.
During the Oct. 24 banquet, 18 student-athletes received awards for their performance in competition, in the classroom and in the community during the 2013-14 athletic season.
Awards were presented to current and former members of the team for their outstanding performance during the 2013 outdoor, 2013 cross country, 2014 indoor and 2014 outdoor seasons while leading the Tigers and Lady Tigers in all aspects of the program.
During the event, LSU celebrated the 25th anniversary of its 1989 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships title sweep in Provo, Utah as well as the 10th anniversary of its 2004 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships title sweep in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
At each event, the LSU teams became the first collegiate programs to record title sweeps.