DENVER - UT Rio Grande Valley's Geneva Anderson and Grand Canyon's Tarasue Barnett have been named Western Athletic Conference Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for April 25-May 1.
Anderson, a senior from Austin, TX (Round Rock High School) set a new career-best in the 400-meter hurdles as she crossed the finish line with a time of 59.49 seconds to finish in third place at the Bobcat Classic. Her new career-best time now ranks her second fastest in program history. Anderson also helped her 4x400-meter relay team to a fourth place finish with a time of 3:48.28, which ranks second fastest in program history. The senior ranks No. 74 in the NCAA in the 400-meter hurdles.
Barnett, the junior from Kingston Jamaica (Edwin Allen) won the women's discus with a throw of 61.28m (201-00), breaking her own school record of 58.99m earlier this season at the Aztec Invitational. Barnett's record throw came on her fourth attempt of the competition to take the lead and hit the Olympic A standard for the event. The junior from Kingston, Jamaica is currently owns the No. 2 mark in the NCAA and ranks No. 18 in the world.
Other track nominees: Grand Canyon's Bailie Jones broke her own school record at the Steve Scott t Invitational on Friday with a time of 2:13.50, breaking her mark of 2:13.54 set the week before at the Beach Invitational. Missouri-Kansas City's Mallory Short helped the UMKC women's 4x100-meter relay team take third place at the Rock Chalk Classic with a team time of 46.97 seconds. Short also posted a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.84 seconds, and clocked a new person record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.55 seconds. NM State's Cristina Amberg finished the 800m at the UTEP Invitational as the top collegiate finisher with a time of 2:14.48. She is third in the conference in this event. Seattle U's Elena Smith set a new outdoor personal record in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 17:15.66. That time was good for a ninth-place finish in a field of 23, and gives her a No. 3 ranking in the WAC. Utah Valley's Alena Gillespie finished in third place in the 100m dash with an impressive time of 11.89 seconds. Gillespie also ran a personal record time of 24.24 seconds in the 200m dash, earning second place overall in the event.
Other field nominees: NM State's Kayli Farmer finished second in the Javelin Throw at the prestigious Penn Relay Carnival with a mark of 44.53m (146 ft. 1 in.), a new season high for her. She is currently second in the WAC in this event. Seattle U's Mandie Maddux took second place in the high jump in a field of 13 with a height of 1.66 meters (5'-5.25â€), breaking her old outdoor school record in the event and setting a new one. That mark in the high jump gives her a No. 1 ranking in the WAC. UT Rio Grande Valley's Leocajuan Williams posted a third place finish in the triple jump out of 13 jumpers at the Bobcat Classic with a leap of 12.19 meters. Williams was one of three to post a mark past the 12-meter mark. Utah Valley's Aimee Wheeler earned sixth place in the long jump with a leap of 5.49m.