Posted: Apr 21, 2020
Garrett Garza named South/Southeast Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year
SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran senior Garrett Garza has been named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's South/Southeast Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.
Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs were eligible for awards.
Garza (Round Rock/Stony Point) was ranked third nationally in the NCAA Division III indoor shot put with a toss of 17.67 meters (57 feet, 11¾ inches). He had the top shot mark in the South/Southeast Region by 8 feet, 4 inches.
Garza owned five of the top-11 marks turned in this season at the NCAA Division III level.
Garza was one of the 20 shot putters to qualify for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C. The championship meet was canceled (due to Covid-19) a day before competition was to begin on Friday, March 13. Garza was to contend for the national championship in the shot put on Saturday, March 14. Garza and his coaches were already in Winston-Salem when the decision was made.
An All-American in the shot put in the 2019 indoor championships and an All-American and national runner-up in the shot put in the 2019 outdoor championships, Garza certainly had a good shot at becoming TLU's third indoor national champion (joining the 2007 women's indoor 4x400 meter relay team and Marquis Brown, who won the 2017 indoor 400).
Garza's outstanding 2019 indoor season already included titles at the Texas A&M University Invite and Grand Valley State (Mich.) Big Meet Saturday, and he was the top collegiate thrower (second only to an unattached thrower) at the University of Houston G5 and Super 22 Invitational.
Also an All-American for TLU Football, Garza's appearance at the NCAA DIII Indoor Championship was to be his final collegiate contest of any kind. He already used his four years of eligibility in football and four years in outdoor track & field. He was in his final year of eligibility in indoor track & field.