OGDEN, Utah (January 20, 2015) -- The Big Sky Conference has selected the men’s and women’s Track and Field Athletes of the Week. Northern Arizona’s Deante Kemper and Jessica Weise were named the men’s and women’s field Athletes of the Week while Montana State’s Cristian Soratos and Portland State’s Jazmin Ratcliff earned the men’s and women’s track Athletes of the Week.
Ratcliff, a senior from Portland, Ore., placed third among a stacked field in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.52 seconds Saturday at the University of Washington Indoor Preview. Ratcliff’s time at the meet qualified her for the Big Sky meet and put her ahead of her pace from last season, when she placed second in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and broke the school record in the event. Ratcliff is the reigning Big Sky champion in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles.
Soratos, a senior from Salinas, Calif., earned a first place finish in the mile with a time of 3 minutes and 56.87 seconds at the Montana State Open on January 16. He was just two seconds shy of tying the school record in the mile. Soratos is currently ranked number one in the NCAA in the mile.
NAU senior Deante Kemper had a strong showing in his first outing of the 2015 season. At the Friday Night Duals on January 16. The San Diego native won the high jump with a height of 2.17 meters, which is the best in the Big Sky thus far this season.
NAU senior Jessica Weise finished second at the Friday Night Duals in the shot put with a standard distance of 15.22 meters, which is tops in the conference thus far this season.
Other men’s track athletes nominated: Logan Henderson, Idaho State: Jimmy Evers, North Dakota: Sheldon Prince, Portland State: Isaiah Grady, Northern Colorado: Jeremy VanAssche, Eastern Washington: Vernon Jamison, Northern Arizona: Arnold Carrillo, Southern Utah: Dustin Durfe: Weber State: Cayle Turpen, Idaho
Other men’s field athletes nominated: Kylie Hutchison, Idaho State: Sean Ferriter, Montana State: Spenser Schmidt, Portland State: Jordan Arakawa, Eastern Washington: Anthony Gregoy, Weber State: Dylan Watts, Idaho.
Other women’s track athletes nominated: Justin Franz, Idaho State: Heather Demorest, Montana State: Heather Harrower, North Dakota: Ashley Atkin, Northern Colorado: Katie Mahoney, Eastern Washington: Hayley Harris, Southern Utah: Darriel Banks, Northern Arizona: Ellie Child, Weber State: Andrea Pikes, Idaho.
Other women’s field athletes nominated: Shayla Neibaur, Idaho State: Kristi VandeBergh, Montana State: Ta’mara Richey, Portland State: Kaytlyn Coleman, Eastern Washington: Jazmin Porter, Weber State: Adara Winder, Idaho.