Big Sky Conference Names Athletes Of The Week
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OGDEN, Utah (January 22, 2013) – The Big Sky Conference has selected the men’s and women’s Track and Field Athletes of the Week. Portland State’s Geronne Black and Northern Arizona’s Matt McElroy were named women’s and men’s track AOTW, while Southern Utah’s Kayla Kovar and NAU’s Deante Kemper were named women’s and men’s field AOTW.
Senior sprinter Geronne Black bested the 60-meter field at the Cherry and Silver Invitational this past weekend, placing first for a third-consecutive meet and clocking in with a time of 7.34 (adjusted to 7.36 due to altitude). With that time Black ties her previous Portland State and Big Sky standard of 7.36. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native is now tied for sixth best mark in the country.
Matt McElroy won his second event title in as many weeks with a victory in the 3,000 meters Saturday at the NAU Invitational. The junior transfer from Oklahoma State went wire-to-wire in posting a Big Sky-leading time of 8:12.68, good enough also for the 10th-best time in the country. McElroy won the mile at last weekend’s Lumberjack Team Challenge in his first-career event with the Lumberjacks.
Kayla Kovar ranks first in the conference in the shot put and second in the weight throw and has already met the qualifying standard in both events. This past weekend at the Cherry & Silver Invitational, Kovar finished second in the shots put with a toss of 50-3 1/4 and third in the weight throw with a throw of 57-9 3/4.
Deante Kemper re-upped on his Big Sky leading high jump mark Saturday at the NAU Invitational, clearing 7 feet for the second time this season with a height of 7 feet, 0.25 inches (2.14m). The sophomore won the event for the first time indoors in 2013, decisively taking the victory by eight inches over his nearest competitor.
Other Women’s Track Nominations: Heather Haug, Montana State; Isatu Fofanah, Northern Arizona;
Rikki Gonzales, Northern Colorado and Kirsten Bradford, Southern Utah
Other Women’s Field Nominations: Kellee Glaus, Montana; Lauren Laszczak, Northern Arizona and Hanna Johnson, Portland State
Other Men’s Track Nominations: Dylan Hambright, Montana; Jacob Kirk, Montana State; Chris Sterling, Northern Colorado; JJ Rosenberg, Portland State and Shaun Murray, Southern Utah
Other Men’s Field Nominations: Austin Emry, Montana; David Phillips, Montana State; Sean MacKelvie, Portland State and Chris Johnson, Southern Utah