KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – For the third
straight week the Indiana State track & field team received three of the four
weekly Athlete of the Week honors as announced by the Missouri Valley
Conference. It is also the third straight that the same three Sycamores have
been honored with Greggmar Swift named the MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week,
Brandon Pounds the MVC Men's Field Athlete of the Week, and Felisha Johnson the
MVC Women's Athlete of the Week.
Swift
received the honor for the fifth straight time during the 2013 Indoor season
while Pounds and Johnson were named for the third straight week.
Four of the top 10 hurdlers in the
nation were on hand for the Tyson Invite 60 meter hurdle race this past weekend
in Fayetteville, Ark., with Swift running a personal best 7.68 seconds in the
finals to finish third. Swift entered the weekend as the fourth ranked hurdler
in the nation and was edged out in a close finish by third ranked Arkansas
senior Caleb Cross (7.65) and fifth ranked Texas senior Keirson Stewart (7.66).
Swift won his preliminary heat in
7.85 and his semifinal heat with a time of 7.72 seconds. Swift currently leads
the Valley in the event and ranks fifth in the nation after this weekend's
action.
Pounds
was the dominate thrower at the Tyson Invite this past weekend, winning the
men's weight throw with a distance of 69-feet-3.5-inches (21.12 meters) which
was almost seven feet better than Missouri senior Jacob Bullinger who was
second at 62-feet-6.5-inches (19.06 meters). The field also included Oklahoma
State sophomore Nick Miller who ranks fourth in the nation and finished fourth
at the Invite.
Pounds
continues to lead the Valley and the nation in the weight throw.
The
top two shot putters in the nation went head-to-head at the Tyson Invitational
Saturday with Johnson, ranked second in the nation, finishing second to
top-ranked Tia Brooks of Oklahoma. Johnson's best throw went 55-feet-11.25-inches
(17.06 meters) while Brooks won with a throw of 58-feet-8-inches (17.88
meters).
Johnson
still leads the Valley in both the weight throw and shot put while leading the
nation in the weight throw and still second in the shot put. The senior also
competed in the weight throw at Tyson but fouled on each of her first three
attempts.
Named
a notable performer from the weekend was freshman Katie Wise who continued her
assault on the Indiana State record book and established career best times in
both the 60 meters and 200 meters at the Grand Valley State Big Meet in
Allendale, Mich., Friday.
Wise
finished second in the 60 meters but was the top Division I athlete in the
event which kept her Division I winning streak alive at 10. Wise ran a career
best 7.42 seconds in the finals but was beaten by Adella King of Indiana Tech,
the third ranked sprinter in NAIA, who won in 7.36. Both King and Wise broke
the Grand Valley State Big Meet and Kelly Turf Rec Center record of 7.48 which
was set by Erica Mann of Michigan State in 2011.
Wise
also ran a career best 24.19 in the 200 meters to finish third overall and
second among Division I athletes. King again took the win with a time of 23.89
with Murray State's Alexis Love second in 24.06.
Wise
leads the Valley in the 60 meters and is second in the 200 meters. She ranks
39th nationally in the 60 meters and 71st in the 200 meters.
Past Athletes of the
Week
Jan.
15: Greggmar Swift (co-Men's Track); Chris Fields (co-Men's field); Leeann
Michl (Women's Track).
Jan.
22: Greggmar Swift (Men's Track); Katie Wise (Women's Track).
Jan.
29: Greggmar Swift (Men's Track); Brandon Pounds (Men's Field); Felisha Johnson
(Women's Field).
Feb.
6: Greggmar Swift (Men's Track); Brandon
Pounds (Men's Field); Felisha Johnson (Women's Field).
Feb.
13: Greggmar Swift (Men's Track); Brandon Pounds (Men's Field); Felisha Johnson
(Women's Field).
