NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State assistant track& field coach Malcolm Watts was named the Southeast Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year Friday by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Watts, now in his 13th season and third stint as an assistant at his alma mater, has been instrumental in a strong season for the Spartan women's team. Middle distance runner Martha Bissah and sprinter Kiara Grant both earned All-America honors during indoor season. Bissah was a First Team All-America performer by virtue of her fifth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, and Grant was a second team performer after qualifying in the 60-meter dash.

The conference champion at 60 meters, Grant set a new school and MEAC record with her conference-winning time of 7.22 seconds.

During outdoor season, the Spartan women had five runners qualify in seven events for the NCAA East Preliminary meet earlier this month, all in either the sprints or 800 meters. The qualifiers included three in the 100-meter dash alone.

In addition, both Bissah (800 meters) and Grant (100 meters) have advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships next week. They have also set new school records in their respective events along the way and have run times that rank among the six-fastest in the nation this year.

Watts was a sprinter for NSU from 1994-98 and was one of the first Spartans to earn All-America honors at the Division I level as part of the 4x100 relay team in 1998.