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OGDEN, Utah (January 23, 2017) – The Big Sky Conference has selected the latest men’s and women’s Track and Field Athletes of the Week. Idaho’s Ben Doucette is the men’s Track Athlete of the Week while Montana State’s Christie Schiel took the women’s track honors. Idaho State’s Justin Franz and Northern Arizona’s Brooke Andersen each picked up their second field accolades of the season.
Schiel, a senior from Cheyenne, Wyo., ran away with a victory in the 800 meters at the MSU-ISU-UM-USU Dual Meet. She posted an indoor-personal best of 2 minutes, 11.37 seconds, winning by nearly four seconds. Her altitude and track-size converted time of 2:09.15 leads the conference while ranking 21st in the country and moving up to fourth in MSU school history. The senior has won the past two Big Sky titles in the 800 outdoors. This is Schiel’s first career Athlete of the Week honor.
Doucette, a freshman from Bellingham, Wash., had a strong breakthrough in his first 60-meter hurdles outing as a Vandal at the WSU Open. After running a time of 8.30 in the prelims, he improved to a clocking of 8.04 in the finals to take second overall. The freshman now leads the conference in the event by two-tenths of a second. Doucette has kept a youthful trend going in the league, as all three men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors this season have gone to freshmen thus far.
Andersen, a junior from Vista, Calif., followed up last weekend’s school record outing with an even bigger mark in the weight throw at the Lumberjack Team Challenge. On her final attempt of the competition Saturday, she launched a toss of 67 feet, 4 3/4 inches (20.54m) to vault from fifth to second all-time in Big Sky history. Andersen ranks 10th in the NCAA with that throw and now only trails Idaho State’s Maureen Griffin in the Big Sky record books, who had a throw of 68-0 1/4 back in 2001.
Franz, a senior from Rigby, Idaho, re-assumed the Big Sky lead in the shot put with a personal-best toss of 59-5 1/2 (18.12m) in Bozeman. It was his first time eclipsing 18 meters in his career, and he did so on his last attempt at the meet to take first overall and rank second in ISU school history. He now leads the Big Sky by over a foot and sits 26th nationally. This is Franz’s second weekly honor of the season.
Other Women’s Track Nominations: Paula Gil-Echevarria - Eastern Washington; Kaleala Bass - Idaho; Maisie Larabee - Idaho State; Reagan Colyer - Montana; Alivia Ayres-Perry - Northern Colorado; Kristen Robinson - Sacramento State; Peyton Green - Southern Utah
Other Women’s Field Nominations: Anandae Clark - Eastern Washington; Rechelle Meade - Idaho; Elizabeth Reichlinger - Idaho State; Hana Feilzer - Montana; Candice Dominguez - Sacramento State
Other Men’s Track Nominations: Isaac Kitzan - Eastern Washington; Bret Davide - Idaho State; Callum Macnab - Montana; Diego Leon - Montana State; Kossi Tchenawou - Northern Arizona; Jordan Medina - Northern Colorado; Alec Foster - Sacramento State; Josh Collins - Southern Utah
Other Men’s Field Nominations: Aaron Cunningham - Eastern Washington; Arphaxad Carroll - Idaho; Calvin Root - Montana State; Khalil Dorsey - Northern Arizona; Jah Strange - Sacramento State