SPARTANBURG, S.C. - College of Charleston freshman Dena O'Brien has been named Southern Conference Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week while Elon senior Veronica Day and Georgia Southern senior Lynndsey Hyter have been named the SoCon Women's Indoor Field Co-Athletes of the Week for meets during the weekend of Feb. 11 through Feb. 13.  The selections are made by the league's track and field coaches.

O'Brien, a freshman from Pelham, Ala., ran two personal-bests over the weekend at the Dick Taylor Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C.  O'Brien placed first at UNC in the mile with a time of 4:59.28, and then came back in the 3000 meters and ran a school-record 9:46.83.

Day, a Vienna, Va., native, had two first place finishes at the Liberty Quad Invitational.  Day placed first in both the long jump and triple jump with leaps of 19-2 ¾ and 39-9 ¼, respectively.  Her mark in the long jump established a Elon record and ranks her second on the SoCon list.

Hyter, a senior at Georgia Southern, won the long jump event at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational with a SoCon leading leap of 19-9 ¾.  Her performance at the Tiger Paw Invitational was a personal best and placed her third all-time in Georgia Southern history.

The College of Charleston will rest until the Southern Conference Championship in Clemson, S.C. on Feb. 26-27.  Appalachian State will host the Appalachian Pre-Conference in Boone, N.C., while Elon will travel to Clemson, S.C. for the Tiger Tune-Up.  

Other top performers this week included:

Appalachian State freshman Breanna Alston - Ran personal-bests in the 60 meters (7.68) and 200 meters (24.69) at the Akron Invitational.

College of Charleston junior Emily Smith - Finished second in the high jump at the UNC Dick Taylor Invitational with a lead of 5-7.

Appalachian State sophomore Gayshawna Watkins - Recorded personal-records in the shot put with a throw of 46-6 ¼ and in the 20 pound weight throw with a toss of 55-6 ¼.

Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week

Jan. 26 - Janet Carothers, Western Carolina

Feb. 2 - Breanna Alston, Appalachian State

Feb. 9 - Dena O'Brien, College of Charleston

            Ashley Schnell, UNCG

Feb. 16 - Dena O'Brien, College of Charleston

Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week

Jan. 26 - Chenelle Terry, Samford

Feb. 2 - Cassie Crawford, Appalachian State

Feb. 9 - Bianca Harvey, Appalachian State

Feb. 16 - Veronica Day, Elon

              Lynndsey Hyter, Georgia Southern