Weekly College Awards — Women
Yesterday I gave out my men’s weekly awards to top collegiate athletes and teams. Today it’s time for the women.
Down at the bottom of the post is a list of the week’s top collegiate marks. Check it out.
Let’s get to it!
Athletes of the week
Sprints: Aurieyall Scott, Central Florida
Scott had a tremendous weekend, probably the best by any women’s athlete so far this year. At the Tyson Invitational, she ran the fastest prelim in the 60 meters (before withdrawing from the final), won the 200 meters, and ran on the winning 4×400 relay. Her 60 meter time was 7.20, fourth-best in the NCAA this year. Her 200 meter time was 22.68, the best in the world this year and ninth-best in NCAA history.
No matter how fast they are, the times are not as important as who she beat. In the 200, she bested Kimberlyn Duncan, the 2012 Bowerman Award winner. This snapped an 18-meet win streak for Duncan in this event; her last loss in a collegiate 200 was on February 4, 2011.
Distance: Betsy Saina, Iowa State
Saina, the reigning NCAA cross country champion, won the 5000 meters at the Iowa State Classic in a time of 15:21.66, the world’s best time in 2013 and fourth-best in collegiate history.
Field: Shanieka Thomas, San Diego State
Thomas won the triple jump at New Mexico’s Don Kirby Elite Meet with a distance of 46′ 2½” (14.08 meters), which puts her sixth on the all-time collegiate list. The distance surpasses fourteen of the last fifteen NCAA indoor championships winning marks–which at least in part demonstrates that doing it on the right day is what matters most.
Division II: Barbara Szabo, Western State
Szabo won the high jump at the Colorado School of Mines Twighlight Open with a height of 6′ 3½” (1.92 meters). This is the best collegiate mark in 2013, regardless of division, an impressive feat given that Szabo tops Olympic silver medalist Brigetta Barrett (for now, at least).
Division III: Christy Cazzola, Wisconsin-Oshkosh
This was a no-brainer. Running at the Iowa State Classic, Cazzola broke D-III records in both the 800 meters (2:05.76) and mile (4:43.13) in the same day. In the shorter race, she ranks ninth among all collegians, regardless of division. She beat all collegiate competitors in both races, losing only in the mile and to former Minnesota standout and current Team USA Minnesota runner, Heather Kampf.
NAIA: Jura Levy, Oklahoma Baptist
Levy was the runner-up in the 60 meters at the Tyson Invitational, beating several top D-I athletes. Her time of 7.25 seconds was the fourth best of the weekend across all divisions.
CIS: Andrea Secaffien, Guelph
Secaffien took fourth in the 3000 meters at the Spire NCAA D-1 Invitational, right behind Michigan State’s Sara Kroll, the reigning Big Ten cross country champion. Her time of 9:19.27 is the best among Canadian collegians by more than six seconds.
Teams of the Week
Central Florida and LSU
These two teams were basically equal in terms of strength of performance this week. LSU had good marks in the 60 meters, 200 meters, 60 hurdles, 4×400 relay, triple jump and weight throw. UCF put up their marks in just two events, the 60 meters and 200 meters.
Right behind these two were the Oregon Ducks, who got big marks from distance runners at the Husky Classic and long sprinters at the Tyson Invitational.
Team Player: Kelly Shaw, St. Augustine’s
At the CIAA Championships, Shaw ran four events: 400 meters (3rd, 56.72), 800 meters (2nd, 2:18.51), distance medley (first, anchor leg) and 4×400 (first, anchor leg). That last one was key, as the Lady Falcons needed to win the event to win the meet–and they did, pulling out the victory over Winston-Salem State by just three points.
Notes
Ohio All-Comers Records
The Spire NCAA D-1 Invitational in Geneva saw four marks that broke the “all-comers” records, meaning they are the fastest indoor times ever run in the state of Ohio. Ashley Spencer, the world junior champion running for Illinois, ran the 400 meters in 52.07, which broke Olympian Mary (Danner) Wineburg’s old record of 52.67 from 2003 at Kent State. Illinois also broke the all-comers 4×400 record (without Spencer), their 3:37.19 eclipsing the 3:39.85 run by Seton Hall in 2007 at Akron.
Michigan’s Rebecca Addison broke the Ohio all-comer’s 800 meter record with a 2:04.01 clocking, breaking the old record of 2:04.68 by Jennifer Buckley in 1995 at Kent State. Rebecca’s family is no stranger to Ohio records, as her father, Ron, held the Ohio high school record in the mile from 1972 to 1980.
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