DENVER – Utah State’s Chari Hawkins and Idaho’s Kristine Leonard were named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week of Jan. 9-15.
Hawkins, a sophomore from Rexburg, Idaho (Madison HS), won two titles at the Snake River Open in Pocatello, Idaho, on Saturday. She won Utah State’s lone running event by taking the title in the 60-meter hurdles, breaking the tape in 8.40, the second-fastest time in the WAC this season. She also won the long jump with a leap of 18-7.25 (5.67m).
Leonard, a junior from Rathdrum, Idaho (Concordia University), won the indoor discuss event, came in second in two more events and posted two personal bests last weekend at the WSU Open in Pullman, Wash.. She won the indoor discus throw with a career-best score of 154-8 (47.14m) on Friday. She followed that up with a runner-up finish in the weight throw later in the day with a personal record toss of 52-0.5 (15.86m), besting her previous career high by four feet. She finished her weekend with a second runner-up finish on Saturday in the shot put with a toss of 44-0.5 (13.42m).
Other track nominees included: Idaho junior Liga Velvere … Nevada junior Angelica Earls … New Mexico State junior Courtney Schultz.
Other field nominees included: Hawai'i senior TeRina Keenan ... Nevada junior Deborah Amoah … New Mexico State senior Bellosie Frazier … Utah State senior Sonia Grabowska.