SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina’s Chace Washington-Saunders and Mateius Brown have been named the Southern Conference men’s outdoor track and field athletes of the week, respectively, while Wofford’s Hannah Steelman and Western Carolina’s Makaila McIntyre claimed the honors on the women’s side, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Selections were made by panels of the league’s track and field coaches and included all outdoor competition to this point.

Western Carolina’s Washington-Saunders, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Hampton University, made his Catamount debut at the 49er Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday and Saturday. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native took third in his heat and 21st overall in the 400-meter run on Friday in a time of 49.24, which leads the SoCon on the young season. The following day, Washington-Saunders again took third in his heat and was 29th overall in the 200-meter dash in a field that included former Catamount Olympic gold medalist Mateo Mitchell, posting a SoCon-best mark of 22.10. Washington-Saunders also ran a leg on Western Carolina’s 4x400-meter relay team, which won its heat and took second overall in a time of 3:11.24, also a SoCon-leading mark.

Western Carolina’s Brown set a school record in the shot put at the 49er Classic on Saturday, erasing Derek Summerour’s 21-year-old mark with a heave of 17.06 meters (55 feet, 11.75 inches) to claim second in the event. A senior from Broadway, North Carolina, Brown, who also supplanted Summerour’s school shot put record during the indoor season, leads the league this outdoor season by nearly three feet. Brown also competed in the hammer throw and discus throw, finishing 12th in the hammer on Friday with a toss of 44.19 meters (145 feet) and 15th in the discus on Saturday with a throw of 42.98 meters (141 feet).

Wofford’s Steelman was also in action at the 49er Classic. The freshman from Orono, Maine, claimed third place in her first-ever collegiate 1,500-meter race Friday, shattering the Terriers’ school record in the event with a time of 4:28.95, a mark that leads the SoCon this season and shaved more than 13 seconds off the old school standard. Steelman, who was the SoCon Freshman of the Year during the cross country season, stands 13th nationally on the NCAA Division I performance list in the 1,500m.

Western Carolina’s McIntyre competed in a pair of jumps at the 49er Classic. The sophomore from Lawrenceville, Georgia, took sixth place in the triple jump on Saturday, setting a new personal record with a leap of 11.94 meters (39 feet, 2.25 inches). On Friday, McIntyre finished 15th in the long jump with a mark of 5.50 meters (18 feet, 0.5 inches). Both marks lead the Southern Conference so far this outdoor season, with her effort in the triple jump in front by nearly a foot.

Also nominated for men’s track athlete of the week: Simeon Roberts (ETSU).

Also nominated for men’s field athlete of the week: Omar Mingo (Wofford).

Also nominated for women’s track athlete of the week: Kaitlyn Lingard (Western Carolina) and McLeod Dean (Wofford).

2018 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
Men’s track
March 21 Chace Washington-Saunders, Western Carolina

Men’s field
March 21 Mateius Brown, Western Carolina

Women’s track
March 21 Hannah Steelman, Wofford

Women’s field
March 21 Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina

-www.SoConSports.com-