Georgia Track & Field: Ondraschkova Named Field Athlete of the Year

Photo by Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

Georgia senior Lucie Ondraschkova has been named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year.

Ondraschkova, a native of Opava, Czech Republic, locked down her spot at the coming NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., after scoring a career-high 4,208 points in the pentathlon at the Southeastern Conference Championships. She earned runner-up honors with the second-best score in the nation this season.

Opening with a personal-best mark of 8.83 in the 60-meter hurdles, Ondraschkova posted four career bests out of her five events. Her score bumped her to No. 2 on Georgia’s all-time top-10 list and punched her ticket to the fifth NCAA Championships (indoor or outdoor) of her career.

After scoring eight points in the pentathlon for the Lady Bulldogs at the SEC meet, Ondraschkova took a day to rest before returning to score another point in the triple jump. She finished eighth with a career-long effort of 41 feet, 5 ¼ inches.

Ondraschkova suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the first indoor meet of the year in 2012. In 2011, she earned Second Team All-America honors after taking 14th in the pentathlon at nationals.

The first event of the pentathlon at the NCAA Championships begins at 12:45 p.m. ET on Saturday. All five events will be completed that same day. Ondraschkova and the rest of the USTFCCCA award winners will be recognized at a banquet in Fayetteville on Thursday night.