The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
03.01.2007 | Track & Field / Cross Country w, Track & Field / Cross Country
INDIANAPOLIS -- Former University of Texas Olympian and National Champion Carlette Guidry has been named one of two NCAA Division I Most Outstanding Student-Athletes in indoor track and field for her accolades in NCAA Championship competition. The honor, which was bestowed as part of the NCAA 25th Anniversary of Women's Championships celebration, takes into account outstanding performances in NCAA Championships over the past 25 years. Former University of Pittsburgh student-athlete Trecia Kaye Smith was selected along with Guidry.
Guidry is one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of the Texas Longhorns athletics program.
She earned eight NCAA indoor national titles in sprint events, the long jump and as a member of Texas' 4 x 400 relay teams over the course of her career (1988-91). Her school records in the 55 meters (6.66, 1990), the 60 meters (7.14, 1991), the 100 meters (10.94, 1991) and the sprint medley relay (3:41.96, 1988) still stand at Texas today. Additionally, Guidry earned four outdoor NCAA titles in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes (1991) and the 4x100-meter relay (1991) and the 4x400-meter relay (1989).
Guidry earned numerous awards and accolades for her athletic accomplishments, including 23 All-America honors; the 1992 Babe Zaharias Award as the nation's top amateur female athlete; the 1991 Honda-Broderick Award as the national track and field athlete of the year; and was named Southwest Conference Athlete of the Decade as a seven-time conference champion in the late 1980s.
"Whether you're watching her as a competitor or coaching her, Carlette is truly amazing," noted UT head women's track and field coach Bev Kearney. "The things she was able to accomplish as an athlete are unreal. Starting from her freshman year at Texas and continuing through to her senior year, she was phenomenal.
"You have to have those type of individuals come back to show the tradition of greatness and what it takes to be great," continued Kearney. "You couldn't find a better example of greatness. I can't think of a greater teacher. She was so unselfish as an athlete and very relaxed. She's a beast of a competitor and a very humble person. That is what you want -- someone who gets out there and amazes everyone."
Guidry took her national accomplishments to the international level, winning two gold medals for the United States as a member of the 1992 and 1996 4x100-meter relay teams. She won world and numerous U.S. titles and medals in the sprint events over a period that spanned more than a decade. A native of Houston, Texas, Guidry earned her bachelor's degree at Texas in sociology.
"Obviously, we have been so lucky with our broad based program to see student-athletes who have been the very, very best in their sport and Carlette was one of them," said Christine Plonsky, Texas Women's Athletics Director. "She set a standard for excellence in just the second decade of our program that is unmatched in terms of her achievements. She did it in a long period of time against the best conference in the world. The Southwest Conference was the best in the country in the sprints at that time.
"The other thing is that Carlette has been a model for what the student-athlete experience should be and what you can become after your collegiate experience," said Plonsky. "She has been very active in community service and professional endeavors, and always comes back to speak to our current student-athletes. Carlette participates in interactive sessions to speak about her experiences. Anyone that ever witnessed her in her prime can say that she is one of the best athletes and people around."
An NCAA expert panel selected the 25th Anniversary athletes in Division I women's indoor track and field. The panel used historical data compiled from the last 25 years of women's collegiate indoor track and field competition to make its decision.
In 1981, the NCAA began sponsoring women's championships, which opened the door to increased athletic and academic opportunities for female athletes. Today, the NCAA sponsors 44 women's championships in 20 sports, providing more than 150,000 women with an opportunity to compete for national titles each year. The NCAA began honoring women in the 2005-06 season for 25 years of outstanding athletic accomplishments.
Both Guidry and Smith will be in attendance at the NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held March 9-10, 2007 in Fayetteville, Ark.
"There are no words to describe this honor for Carlette," Kearney concluded. "When your career is over, you never know if people realize what you accomplish. This couldn't have happened to a better person."
