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OGDEN, Utah (April 3, 2018) - Northern Arizona had three athletes earn #BigSkyTF Athlete of the Week honors, while both Montana and Montana State also had an athlete represented among this week’s honorees.
Northern Arizona’s Jasmine Malone was named the Big Sky Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, while teammate Brooke Andersen earned the Big Sky Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honor.
On the men’s side, NAU distance runner Tyler Day earned the Big Sky Men’s Track Athlete of the Week award, while Montana’s Jensen Lillquist and Montana State’s Calvin Root were named the Big Sky Men’s Co-Field Athletes of the Week.
Malone, a junior from Chandler, Ariz., finished second overall in the women’s 400m with a 53.12 showing at the Stanford Invitational. It was the third-fastest time recorded in Big Sky history during the outdoor season and the second-quickest ever at NAU. It is also the 15th-best time so far in the nation this season.
Andersen, a senior from Vista, Calif., won the women’s hammer throw for the second consecutive year at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Myer Stadium on Thursday morning. Andersen took home the title with a best toss of 68.63m (225-2) in her first competition since having the sixth-best performance in NCAA history in the event at Arizona State’s Baldy Castillo Invitational on March 16.
Day, a junior from Gilbert, Ariz., returned from a redshirt indoor season to post the second-fastest time in the nation in the men’s 5000m (13:40.22) at the Stanford Invitational. Any talk of rust was quickly dismissed as Day proved he hasn’t missed a beat since the NAU cross country national championship.
Lillquist, a junior from Ellensburg, Wash., won the men’s javelin at the Montana-Hosted Al Manuel Northwest Dual Invitational with a top mark of 64.56m (211-10). The throw came on the second attempt of the finals round and was the second-best mark by a Big Sky athlete this season.
Root, a senior from Gilbert, Ariz., made his first appearance of the season a solid one on Saturday in Missoula. Root completed the hammer throw with a first-place showing and a toss of 60.81m (199-06). That mark was just two inches away from tying his personal best. He currently is atop the Big Sky Performance list and 57th nationally behind his efforts, with the Big Sky’s second-place hammer throw almost 10 feet behind Root’s mark. Root is also 12th in the discus and 17th in the shot put after last weekend in the conference.
Other Women’s Track Nominees: Kari Hamilton - Eastern Washington; Andrea Condie - Idaho; Madeline Hamilton - Montana; Trisha Carlson - Montana State; Nia Powdrell - Portland State; Carly Schulz - Sacramento State; Angie Nickerson - Southern Utah; Tawnie Moore - Weber State
Other Women’s Field Nominees: Sam Lester - Eastern Washington; Jordyn Rauer - Idaho; Zena Smith - Montana; Carley Vonheeder - Montana State; Megan Cornett - Portland State; Brittany Patterson - Sacramento State; Lacey Hochalter - Southern Utah; Lindsey Johnson - Weber State
Other Men’s Track Nominees: Tre McAdams - Eastern Washington; Skylar Ovnicek - Idaho; Alex Cisneros - Portland State; Andre Lindsey - Sacramento State; Tre James - Southern Utah; Brandon Yardley - Weber State
Other Men’s Field Nominees: Trenton Osborn - Eastern Washington; Zachary Short - Idaho; Chance Whitehurst - Portland State; Kyle Peterson - Sacramento State; Jordan Porcaro - Southern Utah; Nick Benham - Weber State