DENVER – Utah State’s Alex Litzsinger and UTSA’s Ernestine Cray were named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week of April 8-14.
Litzsinger, a senior from Pocatello, Idaho (Highland H.S.), clocked the second-fastest time in the WAC this season for the 5,000m (17:12.89) on her way to place second in the event at the Sacramento State hosted Mondo Mid-Major Challenge this past weekend. Litzsinger helped lead the USU women to a fourth-place finish.
Cray, a junior from San Antonio, Texas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi), won her second consecutive triple jump title to open the outdoor season and took over the WAC lead at Saturday’s Texas Invitational. The junior skipped to a career-best measurement of 12.87m (42-2.75) on her sixth and final attempt on the afternoon and that was nearly two feet better than runner-up Samantha Collins-Reynolds of TCU. Her previous career best, 12.62m (41-5.00), came at last year’s NCAA Preliminary Rounds, which also was contested at Mike A Myers Stadium. Cray now ranks 15 on the national leaderboard. She also finished 13th in the long jump with a wind-aided leap of 5.55m (18-2.50).
Other track nominees included: Idaho junior Ailene MacPherson, New Mexico State junior Alishia Perkins, Seattle U sophomore Sophi Curatilo and UT Arlington freshman Gabriela Alfonzo.
Other field nominees included: Idaho senior Kristine Leonard, New Mexico State senior Kelsey Brennan, Seattle U junior Bethany Richards, Texas State freshman Dasha Tsema and Utah State junior Keeley Eldredge.