RICHARDSON – Texas A&M University-Commerce's Minna Svaerd has been named the Lone Star Conference Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, as announced by the LSC office Wednesday.
 
Svaerd (Karlstad, Sweden) is the Lions' first-ever Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and second female winner overall, joining Kamryn McKee, who won outdoor honors in 2018.
 
Svaerd qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in three events – the 400 meter dash, pole vault, and 4x400 meter relay.
 
She claimed First Team All-American honors in the pole vault, establishing the Lone Star Conference and school record at 3.93 meters (12-10 ¾) to place sixth and reach the podium. She established record clearances in the event three times during the indoor season
 
Svaerd was also a Second Team All-American in her two running events, placing ninth in the 4x400 meter relay at 3:45.61, and 10^th in the 400 meter dash at 55.14 seconds.
 
She was the Lone Star Conference champion in the 400 meter dash and pole vault and was also the pole vault champion at the Texas Tech Open.
 
"Minna wants to get things done everyday at practice. She absolutely hates losing, takes it personally when she does, and comes back better the next time. She had a fantastic indoor season with two extremely fast races at the LSC Championships. She's a very talented athlete, and I'm look forward to what she can do in the outdoor season," noted A&M-Commerce head track and field coach George Pincock.