STATESBORO - Georgia Southern freshman Merabu Nagwandala was named the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year on Friday morning, in a vote of the league's coaches following the conference's outdoor championship meet.

Nagwandala scored 15 points during the 2019 Sun Belt Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the most for any freshman. She placed fourth in the 10k on Friday evening, earning five points, in a school-record time of 36:54.68. It was her first collegiate 10k.

She then followed that up by capturing the 5k meet in another school-record time of 17:10.57, earning 10 points. Winning the race also earned Nagwandala first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.

After the meet, Sun Belt head coaches voted on the major awards for the outdoor track & field season. You can view the complete Sun Belt end of season awards here. Nagwandala is the first Georgia Southern student-athlete to earn a Sun Belt Track & Field end of season award since the Eagles joined the conference in 2014.

"I am so proud of Merabu," Georgia Southern Head Track & Field Coach Kelly Carter said. "This award is a culmination of all of her hard work throughout the year. There were some ups and downs, but this makes it all worth it."