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WAC TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK ANNOUNCED
MEN
Missouri-Kansas City's Bryce Miller and Grand Canyon's Marcus Flannigan have been named Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Athletes of the week, respectively, for March 28 - April 3.
Miller, a junior from Ashland, Wis. (Ashland HS) posted a school record time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Stanford Invitational on April 1. Miller competed solo at the meet, recording a time of 8:43.81, breaking his own record by a second. The time ranks first in the WAC by nearly 30 seconds and is the sixth-fastest time in the nation.
Flannigan, a junior from Chandler, Ariz. (Chandler) was impressive at UNM as the leading collegiate athlete at UNM meet in long jump (WAC leading performance) 7.58m, in 200m (WAC #2 time) 21.19, also ran legs on WAC leading time on both 4x1 (40.71) and 4x4 (3:12.49) relays.
Other track nominees: Grand Canyon's Aaron Thurber won the 100m with a WAC leading performance 10.38. Seattle U's Matt Seidel finished the 10,000-meter run with a time of 30:45.04, coming within about 17 seconds of breaking the current outdoor school record in the event. The time also gave him a 31st-place finish in a massive field of 93. This is the first time in his college career he has raced in this event. Seidel is now ranked No. 1 in the WAC in this event.
Other field nominees: UT Rio Grande Valley's Antonio Salinas posted a 10th place finish in the shot put at the Bobcat Invitational after hitting a career-best mark of 15.20 meters, which currently ranks third in the WAC this season. He then went on to set a career-best mark in the discus throw after hitting a mark of 45.38 meters, which ranks second in the WAC this season, as he finished in 18th place.
WOMEN
Seattle U's Elena Smith and Grand Canyon's Tarasue Barnett have been named Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for March 28 - April 3.
Smith, a senior from Seattle (Nathan Hale HS) broke the outdoor school record in the event (previously set by herself last season) with a time of 36:17.49. She beat her previous record by 32 seconds. The time gave her a 12th-place finish in a field of 52. Smith is now ranked No. 1 in the WAC and No. 79 in NCAA DI in this event.
Barnett, a junior from Kingston, Jamaica (Edwin Allen) broke the UNM Stadium record held since 1998 with a winning discus throw of 56.90. She is ranked No. 1 in the WAC and No. 7 in the NCAA.
Other track nominees: Grand Canyon's Kevina Godfrey ran the sixth fastest WAC time in 200m and in addition ran a leg on winning 4x1 relay (WAC fastest time), also had WAC leading long jump (5.99m) at UNM meet. NM State's Cristina Amberg placed third in the 1500m with a time of 4:39.04. She is currently in second place in the WAC in this event. UT Rio Grande Valley's Geneva Anderson posted a season-best time of 1:00.92 in the 400-meter hurdles at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays as she finished in 27th out of 68 total runners. Her time at the Texas Relays also ranks first in the WAC this season. She then posted a fourth place finish at the Bobcat Invitational after crossing the finish line with a time of 1:02.51 while also helping her 4x400-meter relay team to an eighth place finish as they posted a time of 3:52.73.
Other field nominees: NM State's Hannah Smith finished seventh in the heptathlon with 3,894 points in her first collegiate performance in this event. She is currently in first place in the WAC in this event. UT Rio Grande Valley's Cristina Santiago Bravo finished in 16th in the hammer throw at the 89th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays after a throw of 52.49 meters. She then posted a fifth place finish in the hammer throw at the Bobcat Invitational after hitting a season-best mark of 54.34 meters, which currently ranks first in the WAC this season.
GRAND CANYON ON THE NATIONAL SCENE
Three athletes from Grand Canyon are currently ranked in the top 30 in NCAA D1. One week after shattering the GCU record in the discus with a throw of 56.92 meters at the Willie Williams Classic, Tarasue Barnett improved upon her impressive mark once again. The junior from Kingston, Jamaica placed second overall with a throw of 58.99m. Her throw currently is the best in the WAC and the No. 7 mark in the entire country. Aaron Thurber won the men's 100 meters with a time of 10.34, the No. 27 time in all of Division I. Thurber is the WAC's fastest runner this season in the 100 and 200. Marcus Flannigan is currently has the No. 22 jump in NCAA D1 in the long jump with a jump of 7.58m.
BRYCE MILLER OF UMKC STEEPLECHASE
Missouri-Kansas City's Bryce Miller was the lone ‘Roo to compete over the weekend. The junior competed in the 3,000 steeplechase, posting a new school record with a time of 8:43.91, breaking his own record by a second. The time ranks first in the WAC by nearly 30 seconds and is the sixth-fastest time in the nation.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2016 WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships are hosted by Missouri-Kansas City and held in Kansas City, Mo. from May 11-14. Last year, the Utah Valley won and the Missouri-Kansas City women took home the championship.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2016 Outdoor Track and Field National Championships will take place in Eugene, Ore. from June 8-11.
June 8-11, 2016
Location: Eugene, Ore.
Facility: Hayward Field