MOBILE, Ala. – An All-American and a Sun Belt Conference champion last spring in his first season competing at the collegiate level, Sean Collins from the men's track and field program is the guest this week on the official podcast of Jaguar Athletics "Inside JagNation."

With the start of the indoor track season scheduled for Friday, Collins visited before making his expected 2017 debut next week at the Vanderbilt Invitational.  He discusses competing for the first time since suffering a broken ankle at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championship in May, the rehabilitation process as well as his approach to setting goals for the spring semester coming off the injury.  Other topics the Mobile, Ala., resident touches on in the episode include when he began competing in track and field and how he chose to do the pole vault, when he knew he would compete at the collegiate level, why South Alabama was the program he wanted to join and the differences competing at collegiate and national meets.

Click here for Episode 23 of "Inside JagNation"

After earning the Coastal Alabama Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year award twice from AL.com during his career at McGill-Toolen Catholic High, and winning the pole vault at both the indoor and outdoor state 7A championship his senior year, Collins joined USA's program in the fall of 2015.  He claimed the pole vault at the Sun Belt Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the spring to be named the league's Freshman of the Year for both seasons, and was a first-team All-American following a second-place finish in the event at the NCAA Indoor Championship in March.  He set school records both indoors and outdoors during his freshman campaign as well.

Prior to enrolling in school, Collins recorded a third-place result at the United States Track and Field Junior Outdoor Championship, where he tied the best height cleared by a high school athlete in the nation in 2015.

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Each episode of "Inside JagNation" can be downloaded for free with a search for "South Alabama Jaguars" on iTunes.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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