Mississippi State’s Freitas Named 2016 Track and Field Human of the Year

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) – Marta Freitas is a national champion, an SEC champion and an Olympian. She is also a Bulldog.

Today, FloTrack.com named her the 2016 Human of the Year.

Last spring, Freitas became the second Bulldog in as many years to take home the national championship in the women’s 1500m in Eugene, Oregon. She followed that performance up by qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, representing her native country of Portugal.

Marta Freitas

She accomplished all of these things in the midst of tragedy, losing her father to a heart attack two years ago.

“I am so incredibly proud of Marta for everything she has accomplished throughout her career,” MSU track and field coach Steve Dudley said. “It is fantastic to see her recognized not just for the athlete she is, but for the person she is as well. Her attitude and outlook on life makes every one of us in our program better.”

Freitas goes down as one of the most decorated athletes in Mississippi State history. She is also a living embodiment of what it means to be a Bulldog.

“As a coach there are a lot of things that make us proud and drive us to strive to be better,” MSU cross country coach Houston Franks said. “Fast times, championships, awards, graduations, former athletes getting good jobs, but nothing makes you prouder than seeing people in your program grow and develop into great people. We all knew that about Marta, the girl with the big heart and strong shoulder for teammates to lean on. It is really cool for others to get a glimpse of the person we get to see everyday.”