DENVER UTEPs Yinka Bello and Nevadas Nicole McRae have been named the Western Athletic Conference mens and womens Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively.
Bello, a sophomore from Ilorin, Nigeria, posted a personal-best and a regional-qualifying time in the 100-meter dash by winning the title at the UTEP Springtime Invitational. His mark of 10.33 is the top time in the WAC this year. As the leadoff leg of the 400-meter relay, Bello paced the Miners to the meet title in a regional-qualifying and conference-best time of 39.61.
McRae, a junior from Seattle, Wash., broke a 14-year-old school record when she placed third in the 800-meters at the Stanford Invitational. Her time of 2:05.78 takes the record away from Renee Manfredi set back in 1990. The time is the best in the WAC this year by eight seconds. McRae was one of three Nevada athletes to set school records this weekend also qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Regional. The meet featured more than 4,200 athletes in competition.
Additional mens nominees included: Ben Wiggins, Rice; Michael Roberston, SMU and Owain Matthews, Tulsa.
Additional womens nominees included: Doria Appleberry, Louisiana Tech; Krystal Robinson, Rice; Karin van Rooyen, SMU; Kaisa Kiintonen, UTEP and Shana Robinson, Tulsa.