CHARLOTTE, N.C.—After earning a trip to the NCAA National meet in Des Moines, Iowa, Charleston Southern University sprinter Gabrielle Houston has been named the 2011-12 Big South Conference Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year. The honor was announced by the league in Charlotte on Friday.

The award is given annually to a male and female athlete and is voted upon by the head coaches at their annual league meetings.

Houston highlighted her 2012 season with honorable mention All-America accolades as she finished 18th in the country with a time of 23.68 in the 200-meter event at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She earned six All-Conference plaudits during the 2011-12 season, including a pair of gold medals at the 2012 Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships. At the meet, she tied the Big South meet record as she won the 200-meter championship with a time of 24.14. Her second first-place finish of the meet came in the 4x400-meter relay as she anchored her team to a time of 3:51.97. Houston closed the meet with a second-place finish in the 60 meters with a time of 7.49.

During the Big South Outdoor Track and Field Championship, Houston placed second in the 100-meter event with a time of 11.80 and followed with a second-place time in the 200 meters at 24.13. She helped her squad place third overall in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 46.13. She closed the season with top time in the 100 meters at 11.45 and the No. 1 time in the indoor 200 meters with a 23.42. She also owns the top indoor time this season in the 60-meter event with a time of 7.46, while her time of 24.14 in the indoor 200 was good for second place.