TicketSmarter WAC Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week Announced
DENVER – Utah Valley's Maria Blad and UT Rio Grande Valley's Desirea Buerge have been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for April 12 through April 18.
Blad, a senior from Enumclaw, Wash., reset her own school record on the 100m high hurdles for the third straight meet, winning the event with a time of 13.73 at the Bengal Invitational in Pocatello, Idaho. Her time, which is adjusted to 13.77 due to altitude, ranks first in the WAC this season.
Buerge, a graduate student from Webb City, Mo., not only won the discus at the UTSA Roadrunner Invitational with a throw of 58.90m but also qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials with the throw. Her mark ranks first in the WAC, fourth in NCAA Division I, fifth among Americans and 30th in the world. She also posted a fourth-place finish in the shot put with a mark of 14.53m.
Other track nominees: California Baptist's Elin Brink recorded the third-best mark in program history in the 1,500m run, taking 13th at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a time of 4:23.13 … Tarleton's Jenna Brazeal set a new PR and moved within two seconds of the school record in the 800m run, finishing 29th at the Michael Johnson Invitational with a time of 2:15.42 … UT Rio Grande Valley's Tamara Woodley won the 400m run at the UTSA Roadrunner Invitational, posting a time of 55.49 in the event.
Other field nominees: Grand Canyon's Madelyn Lundberg earned a first place finish in the pole vault at the UTSA Roadrunner Invitational, clearing 4.05m … Tarleton's Jasmine McQuirter took third in the long jump at the Michael Johnson Invitational, jumping 19-9.5.