DENVER
– Idaho’s Lauren Schaffer and Hawai‘i’s Samantha Balentine have been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week of April 11-17.
Schaffer, a junior from Boise, Idaho (Timberline HS), ran two outstanding times in the 800m over the weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays and Beach Invitational. Schaffer started out Friday by taking seventh place in the 800m in the University/Open division at Mt. SAC with a then-season-best 2:08.08 that was, at the time, the second-fastest race of her career. On Saturday at the Beach Invitational, Schaffer led the race from start to finish in the field of 92 runners and posted a career-best and WAC-leading 2:06.53 in the 800m. It’s the second-fastest time in Idaho history and ranks 10th in the West Region and 16th in the NCAA this season. Her time is also the fastest time in the WAC since 2007. She is the only WAC runner to dip below 2:08 in the event this year.
Balentine, a sophomore from Lodi, Calif. (Lodi HS), set a new personal best and won the high jump competition with a mark of 5-10 (1.78m) at the Beach Invitational in Norwalk, Calif. Balentine easily surpassed her previous best of 5-8 (1.73m) set last season and is now tied for the fourth-best high jump in school history. She also placed 17th in the heptathlon at the California Invitational with a score of 4,628 points. During the heptathlon, she had the best high jump mark among the 38-athlete field with a mark of 5-8 (1.73m) and the sixth-best mark in the shot put at 37-1.25 (11.31m).
Other track nominees included
: Kate Jette, Boise State; Tiana Davis, Louisiana Tech; Camille Schultz, New Mexico State; and Alexis Meyer, Utah State.
Other field nominees included
: Heidi Dorling, Boise State; Gabby Midles, Idaho; Micarra Vassell, Louisiana Tech; Bellosie Frazier, New Mexico State; and Spela Hus, Utah State.