DENVER ? Idaho’s Bastien Tardy and Boise State’s Simon Wardhaugh have been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the week of Feb. 4-10. This is the first career WAC Indoor Athlete of the Week honor for Tardy and the second for Wardhaugh, as he earned it once as a junior. This is the first season that honors for both “Track” and “Field” athletes will be awarded each week.
Tardy, a senior from Voisins le Brettoneux, France, (Southeastern Louisiana), made his 2008 debut at the Vandal Indoor on Feb. 8, capturing the title in the 800-meter run with a WAC-leading time of 1:53.58, nearly a second faster than the league’s second-best time this season.
Wardhaugh, a senior from Bracken Ridge, Australia (Queensland), earned a career-best mark in the 35-pound weight throw with a toss of 70’ 0.50” (21.35m), improving on his previous best of 69’ 7” (21.21m). This throw moves him into fourth in the nation and secures his spot atop the WAC standings. Wardhaugh has now posted NCAA provisional qualifying standards in the weight throw in all four indoor meets this season.
Other Track nominees included: Cody Eaton of Boise State posted a season-best time and first-place finish in the mile-run at the Bronco Invitational with a time of 4:11.68, which currently ranks second in the WAC ... Nick Karren of Utah State placed first in the 60-meter hurdles and third in the 200-meter dash at the Bronco Invitational, clocking personal-best times of 8.14 and 21.66, respectively, placing him in sixth all-time in Aggie history in both events.
Other Field nominees included: Mike Carpenter of Idaho vaulted a WAC-best 16’ 6.75” in the pole vault to take the title at the Vandal Indoor on Feb. 8, and is one of only two WAC vaulters to have cleared 16 feet this season.
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