SMUs Dalibor Balgac and Tracey Ball have been named the Western Athletic Conference men's and women's indoor track and field athletes of the week, respectively.
Balgac, a sophomore from Cutina, Croatia, qualified for NCAA competition and broke two school records at the Arkansas Tyson Invitational on Feb. 2. His time of 8:01.24 in the 3,000 meters met the NCAA qualifying standard and broke SMUs 11-year-old record by over a second. Balgac anchored the distance medley relay team that posted an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 9:36.87. The mark ranks number one in the country and also broke an SMU record that had stood for 17 years.
Other mens athletes nominated included: Kenny Johnson, Boise State; Ryan Harlan, Rice; and Taiwo Ajibade, UTEP.
Ball, a senior from Detroit, Mich., attained the NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 200 meters at the Arkansas Tyson Invitational. Her time of 23.93 was good for fourth place at the meet, and is tops in the WAC.
Other womens athletes nominated included: Abbey Elsberry, Boise State; Crystal Simmons, Fresno State; Jennifer Ashcroft, Nevada; Tanya Wright, Rice; and Corine van Beek, UTEP.