Cherry Gets National Recognition

Senior D’Angelo Cherry earned top honors on Monday when the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named the sprinter the Division I National Athlete of the Week, following his championship performance at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships.

The Jonesboro, Ga., native raced a 2013 collegiate-best 60-meter dash time of 6.49 seconds at the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. on March 3 to capture the crown.

“It’s a great honor for the USA association to recognize my accomplishment, despite the fact it doesn’t qualify for NCAAs,” Cherry said. “I’m happy to represent my conference and Mississippi State.”

The Bulldog’s 60-meter time is the sixth fastest in collegiate history and ranks him fourth on the all-time collegiate performer list. Cherry’s time is also the fastest collegiate performance in the event since Tennessee’s Leonard Scott clocked a 6.48 at the 2001 SEC Championships.

With NCAA Indoor Championships on the horizon, Cherry will turn his focus to another national stage set to begin March 7 and conclude on March 9. This year’s championships are hosted by Arkansas, as action is scheduled to begin Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Randal Tyson Track Center.