DENVER – Louisiana Tech’s Kim Francis
and New Mexico State’s Jndia Cleveland
have been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week of March 21-27. This is the first honor for Francis and second overall honor for Cleveland.
Francis, a freshman from Youngsville, La. (Northside HS), ran 13.51 in the finals of the 100-meter hurdles at the LSU Relays over the weekend. Her time currently ranks 20th in the nation, 14th in the NCAA East Region and is the best time in the Western Athletic Conference so far this season. Francis improved her time three-tenths of a second from her preliminary heat to the finals race. She also was part of the 4x100m relay team that posted a preliminary time of 45.52, ranking first in the WAC.
Cleveland, a junior from Phoenix, Ariz. (Desert Vista HS), won the long jump at the UTEP Springtime Invitational last weekend with a WAC-leading leap of 19 feet, 9.75 inches (6.04 meters). Cleveland’s mark ranks 15th in the nation and 10th in the NCAA West Region. Her jump also moves her from sixth to third on the NM State all-time list in the event.
Other track nominees included: Emily Funkhouser,
Boise State; Ashley Aitken,
Hawai‘i; Lauren Schaffer,
Idaho; and Courtney Schultz,
New Mexico State.
Other field nominees included: Racquel Jones,
Boise State; Taylor Jackson,
Fresno State; Kristine Leonard,
Idaho; and Tiana Davis,
Louisiana Tech.
-WAC-