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OGDEN, Utah (April 17, 2017) – The Big Sky Conference has selected the latest men’s and women’s Track and Field Athletes of the Week. Southern Utah’s Kasey Knevelbaard is the men’s Track Athlete of the Week while Weber State’s Jamie Stokes picked up the women’s track nod. Montana State’s Kyle Douglass (men’s) and North Dakota’s Kyley Foster (women’s) took home the weekly field honors.
Stokes, a senior from Ogden, Utah, ran personal-best time of 4:16.90 in the 1,500-meter run at the Bryan Clay Invite. She took ninth overall and was the sixth collegiate finisher in a loaded field. Stokes became just the sixth Big Sky athlete ever to break 4:20 in the 1,500, now sitting sixth all-time and second in school history for WSU. Stokes’s time ranks 17th in the nation and 11th in the west region.
Knevelbaard, a sophomore from Caruthers, Calif., became the second Thunderbird to put together a stellar 5,000-meter time at a prestigious California meet this season. At the Bryan Clay Invite, Knevelbaard raced to a victory in the 5K with a personal-best time of 13:50.08 in the field of 24 runners. His time ranks 13th in the NCAA and second in the conference behind SUU’s Mike Tate, who ran 13:39.81 at Stanford just over two weeks ago. With today’s award, Knevelbaard is the only athlete in the Big Sky this year to earn weekly honors in three different sports, earning three in cross country and two more as part of SUU’s distance medley relay indoors.
Foster, a sophomore from Detroit Lakes, Minn., crushed her own school record in the pole vault with a clearance of 13-3 3/4 (4.06m) at the Pacific Beach Intercollegiate on Thursday. With that mark, Foster was the first Big Sky athlete to clear 13 feet this season and moved into 10th all-time in conference history. She currently ranks 26th on the west region lists with that mark and earns her first career Big Sky Athlete of the Week nod.
Douglass, a junior from Missoula, Mont., posted the conference-leading mark in the discus with a toss of 184-4 (56.18m) at the Pacific Beach Intercollegiate. He reached that mark on his third throw, placing fifth overall at the meet. He was consistent over a busy weekend, also throwing 183-7 at the Mt. SAC Relays. Douglass grabbed a slight lead over defending Big Sky discus champion Jayson Kovar of SUU, who had a throw of 184-0 at the Beach Invitational. That throw puts Douglass 13th in the west region and 28th nationally.
Other Women’s Track Nominations: Kaili Keefe - Eastern Washington; Krista Story - Idaho; Sasha Kent - Idaho State; Jessica Bailey - Montana; Alyssa Snyder - Montana State; Northern Arizona 4x400 relay; Genna Settle - Portland State; Cassidy Zurn - Sacramento State; Peyton Green - Southern Utah
Other Women’s Field Nominations: Maegan McCurdy - Eastern Washington; Kolcie Bates - Idaho; Bailey Woodbury - Idaho State; Carley VonHeeder - Montana State; Ta’Mara Richey - Portland State; Kathleen Durand - Sacramento State; Rebecca Wenz - Weber State
Other Men’s Track Nominations: Jeremy VanAssche - Eastern Washington; Nathan Stark - Idaho; Wyatt Didericksen - Idaho State; Sterling Reneau - Montana; Northern Arizona 4x100 relay; Ben Richardson - Portland State; Aric Walden - Sacramento State; Josh Hartford - Weber State
Other Men’s Field Nominations: Trenton Osborn - Eastern Washington; Kasin Pendergrass-Anderson - Idaho; Deante Gaines - Idaho State; Matthew Kisiel - Northern Arizona; Darius Armstead - Sacramento State; Jayson Kovar - Southern Utah; Justin Herbert - Weber State