DENVER – Idaho’s Allix Lee-Painter and Gabby Midles have been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week of April 12-18.
Lee-Painter, a senior from Moscow, Idaho (Moscow HS), ran a personal-best time of 10:19.15 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. on Thursday. The mark is seventh in the NCAA and the fastest in the WAC by over a 10-second margin. It also improves on her standing of third all-time at Idaho in the event. On Saturday, Lee Painter followed it up by running another WAC-best and personal-best time. She went 16:33.43 in the 5,000m to give her the top time in the conference by a nearly 20-second margin. That time is the third-fastest in school history and the fastest by a WAC runner since 2003.
Midles, a sophomore from Camas, Wash. (Camas HS), turned in a school-record performance in the hammer throw at the Mt. SAC Relays on Friday. Midles hit a career-best mark of 192 feet, four inches (58.62m) in the event. The throw is the best in the WAC this season by nearly eight feet and ranks 11th in the NCAA West First Round Championships performance list as well as 21st in the NCAA. She broke the school record of 190-10 (58.17m) previously held by Jenn Broncheau from 2006.
Other track nominees included: Boise State’s Megan Olivetti, Fresno State’s Breeauna Thompson, Louisiana Tech’s Lashannda Worthy, Nevada’s April Pate and Utah State’s Erin Stratton.
Other field nominees included: Boise State’s BreAnna Craig, Fresno State’s Rosario Sanchez, Louisiana Tech’s Brittany Guy, Nevada’s Alicia Echaverria and Utah State’s Shannon Prince.
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