United Athletic Conference

Complete Release (PDF)

 

Utah Valley's Adam Bunker and Sam Houston's Clayton Fritsch has been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for April 13 through April 17.

 

Bunker, a freshman from Monticello, Utah, showed out in back-to-back meets this weekend. He opened the week with a fourth-place finish in the 30000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:44.90 at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Wednesday through Friday. His performance in the steeple chase puts him first in the WAC and 20th in the NCAA performance lists according to TFRRS. He then closed the week with a win in the 1500 meters with a time of 3:49.96 at the Beach Invitational, held Saturday through Sunday.

 

Fritsch, a senior from Sealy, Texas, had a nation-topping performance at the Mt. SAC Relays, held Wednesday through Saturday. He won the pole vault with a mark of 5.80m (19' 0.25"), best mark in the NCAA performance list. Fritsch set a career best mark while also breaking Sam Houston's previous record of 5.75m (18' 10.25") that he set in 2019.

 

Other track nominees: Abilene Christian's Jack Marshall placed third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.77 seconds, first in the WAC and 49th in the NCAA performance lists, and then placed ninth in the 100-meter dash (10.56) at the Bryan Clay Invitational ... California Baptist's Said Mechaal won the 10,000-meter run with a time of 28:45.98, placing him first in the WAC and 40th in the NCAA performance lists, at the Mt. SAC Relays … Grand Canyon's Jacob Lewis marked the fastest 1500-meter time in the WAC performance list with a time of 3:41.92, 58th fastest time in the NCAA at the Bryan Clay Invitational … Stephen F. Austin's Jeremiah Curry won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.36 seconds, putting him second in the WAC performance list, at the Earl Milner Invitational, Friday … Tarleton's Brady Sisneroz finshed runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles (54.07) and third in the 110-meter hurdles (14.91) at the Earl Milner Invitational … UT Rio Grande Valley Ricardo Mendoza won the 800-meter run with a time of 1:53.64 at the Cactus Cup, Friday.

 

Other field nominees: Abilene Christian's Tyler Richardson won the shot put and hammer throw with marks of 16.63m (54' 6.75") and 56.55m (185' 6"), respectively, then placed third in discus throw (46.78m/153' 6") at the War Hawk Classic, Friday ... Grand Canyon's Jorden Okyere won the hammer throw with a mark of 60.50m (198' 6"), putting him first in the WAC performance list, at the Bryan Clay Invitational … Tarleton's Oscar Rodriguez won the discus throw (49.16m/161' 3") and placed second in the hammer throw (51.26m/168' 2") at the Earl Milner Invitational … UT Rio Grande Valley's Julian Trevino placed third in javelin throw with a mark of 54.64m (179' 3") at the Cactus Cup … Utah Valley's Seth Krauss placed third in high jump with a mark of 2.11m (6' 11"), putting him second in the WAC and 43rd in the NCAA performance lists at the Beach Invitational.

 

Utah Valley's Everlyn Kemboi and Abilene Christian's Annina Brandenburg has been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week, respectively, for April 13 through April 17.

 

Kemboi, a junior from Metkei, Kenya, broke the national top-10 at the Bryan Clay Invitational, held Wednesday through Friday. She finished runner-up in the 10,000 meters with a time of 33:12.98, breaking the previous school record of 34:40.21, set by Mary Nothum in 2010. Her performance in the event placed her first in the WAC and seventh in the NCAA performance lists according to TFRRS. She also recorded a WAC top-three time in the 1500 meters (4:24.83) at the same meet.

 

Brandenburg, a graduate student from Dusseldorf, Germany, earned her fourth WAC Athlete of the Week honors after career best performances at the Mt. SAC Relays, held Wednesday through Friday. She won the discus throw, updating her career best with a mark of 58.29m (191' 3"), best in the WAC and fourth in the NCAA performance lists. She also placed fifth in shot put with a mark of 16.61m (54' 6"), second in the WAC and 26th in the NCAA performance lists.

 

Other track nominees: Abilene Christian's Irene Rono placed third in the 5000 meters with a time of 16:02.44, second in the WAC and 39th in the NCAA performance lists, at the Bryan Clay Invitational ... California Baptist's Greta Karinauskate placed third in the 5000 meters with a time of 15:58.91, fastest in the WAC and 31st in the NCAA performance lists, at the Mt. SAC Relays … Grand Canyon's Alexa Hokanson set a new 800 meters school record with a time of 2:04.38, fastest time in the WAC and 16th in the NCAA performance lists, at the Bryan Clay Invitational … NM State's Thobile Amon set a new school record in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:22.42, second fastest in the WAC performance list, at the Bryan Clay Invitational … Seattle U's Maya McCabe recorded the fourth fastest 800 meters time (2:08.88) in the WAC performance list at the Bryan Clay Invitational … Stephen F. Austin's Brianna Nolen won the 800 meters with a time of 2:09.92, fifth in the WAC performance list, at the Earl Milner Invitational, Friday … Tarleton's Jordan Anglin won the 400-meter run with a time of 55.98 seconds at the Earl Milner Invitational … UT Rio Grande Valley's Uxia Pereira placed third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.36) then finished runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles (1:04.88) at the Cactus Cup, Friday.

 

Other field nominees: Grand Canyon's Jazmine Scott placed 16th in long jump with a mark of 12.76m (41' 10.5"), placing her sixth in the WAC and 45th in the NCAA performance lists, at the Bryan Clay Invitational … NM State's Phetisang Makhethe placed second in hammer throw breaking the school record, topping the WAC and placing 25th in the NCAA performance lists with a mark of 63.78m (209' 3") at the Beach Invitational, held Friday through Saturday … Seattle U's Nicole Whittern placed third in the javelin throw with a mark of 41.79m (137' 1") at the Bryan Clay Inviational … Stephen F. Austin's Erica Ellis placed third in pole vault with a mark of 4.00m ( 13' 1.5") at the Earl Milner Invitational … Tarleton's Elise Smith placed second in javelin throw, marking 46.59m (152' 10") that puts her second in the WAC performance list at the Earl Milner Invitational … UT Rio Grande Valley's Annelle Rodriguez placed second in high jump with a mark of 1.60m (5' 3") at the Cactus Cup … Utah Valley's Maddy Beyeler placed tenth in hammer throw (48.37m/162' 0") and 16th in discus throw (40.80m 133' 10") at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

 

Sam Houston's Clayton Fritsch recorded the best mark in the nation after tying for first with USA's Jacob Wooten at the Mt. SAC Relays.

In the collegiate level, Fritsch is leading the TFRRS performance list just ahead of Princeton's Sondre Guttormsen (5.75/18' 10.25").

His mark of 5.80m (19' 0.25") would have placed him within the top-eight of last year's Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

 

Utah Valley will open the week at the BYU Robison Invitational, held Wednesday through Friday. Dixie State will be joining them on the final day of the meet. NM State will be on the road at the Don Kirby Tailwind Invitational, Thursday through Friday. 

 

Four meets begin on Friday. Seattle U and a group of the UVU Wolverines will be at the Oregon Relays, Abilene Christian at the Michael Johnson Invitational, Chicago State at the Illini Invitational and Grand Canyon at the ASU Twilight Invite.

 

Then coming into the weekend, Sam Houston will go on the road at the J. Fred Duckett Twilight, while Stephen F. Austin is at the NSU Demon Invitational, Saturday.