TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) — Florida State’s Bob Braman, who led the Seminole Men’s Track and Field Team to its 13th ACC Outdoor Championship, has been named the ACC Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year while Seminole senior Isaac Grimes was named the ACC Men’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Year and freshman Ruta Lasmane was named the Women’s ACC Freshman of the Year. Florida State led all schools with three honorees among the eight awards that were voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Braman led the Seminole men to a first place finish in the 2021 ACC Outdoor Championships with a 20-point victory over runner-up Virginia Tech and a 44-point win over third-place Virginia. He then led Florida State to a 10th place finish in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.
“The Coach of the Year honor is truly a program of the year award,” said Braman. “All six of our coaches contributed to our great men’s season. I’m proud of our staff, and especially our student-athletes, and humbly accept this award for them.”
Braman’s Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year honor is his 27th overall coaching accolade in track & field (indoor and outdoor) and cross country at Florida State. The Seminole men won their 13th team championship in 2021 and first since 2018 this season. Braman has led Florida State 11 of its 13 outdoor ACC Championships. The Seminoles piled up 136 team points, the most by any men’s team since the Seminoles scored 149 in 2013.
Following a record-setting indoor season during which he led the Seminoles to a third place ACC championships finish, Grimes (Moreno Valley, Calif.) continued to perform well on the outdoor stage. He won the long jump gold medal at the ACC Outdoor Championships (7.75 meters), earned the bronze medal at the NCAA East Regional Championships (8.02 meters) and earned the silver medal at the NCAA Championships (8.35 meters).
Lasmane (Latvia) was spectacular throughout her freshman season as she performed well in each of the Seminoles’ four biggest events of the season. She finished in first place in the triple jump at the ACC Indoor Championships (13.53 meters), third in the NCAA Indoor Championships (14.15 meters), first in the ACC Outdoor Championships (14.20 meters) and fifth in the NCAA Championships (13.91 meters). Lasmane’s gold medal winning jump at the ACC Outdoor Championships ranks as the ACC record and the facility record at the Paul Derr Track and Field Facility at NC State University.
ACC Outdoor Track 2021 Season Honors
- Men’s Coach of the Year – Bob Braman, Florida State
- Men’s Field Performer of the Year – Isaac Grimes, Florida State
- Women’s Freshman of the Year – Ruta Lasmane, Florida State
- Men’s Track Performer of the Year – Yared Nuguse, Notre Dame
- Men’s Freshman of the Year – Claudio Romero, Virginia
- Women’s Track Performer of the Year – Elly Henes, NC State
- Women’s Field Performer of the Year – Michelle Atherley, Miami
- Women’s Coach of the Year – Shawn Wilbourn, Duke
