DENVER ?“ Boise State?™s Nate Putnam and Idaho?™s Melinda Owen have been named the Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference men?™s and women?™s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively.
Putnam, a sophomore from Concord, N.H., won the javelin with a personal-best throw of 224-3 (68.35m), which improves his NCAA West Regional qualifying mark. Putnam?™s mark ranks as the eighth best collegiate throw in the country this season, and fifth in the west region.
Owen, a sophomore from Polson, Mont., had a dominating day in the pole vault at the Pelluer Invitational. Owen set a meet, stadium and school record, clearing 12-9.50. The vault is also a NCAA West Regional qualifying mark. She broke her own school-record mark of 12-4 set in 2004.
Other Men Nominated: Jason Morgan, Louisiana Tech and Scott Bell, Utah State.
Other Women Nominated: Eleni Kafourou, Boise State; Brenda-Grace Hunt, Louisiana Tech; Caira Hane, Nevada; Erin Streater, New Mexico State and Caroline Berry, Utah State.