SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford’s Sarah Sanford and Erin Hines have been named the Southern Conference women’s outdoor track and field athletes of the week, respectively, while Samford’s Emmanuel Tait and ETSU’s Ben Johnson took the honors on the men’s side, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Selections were made by panels of the league’s track and field coaches and included all competition from March 21-27.
Samford’s Sanford competed in a pair of meets last week. At the Samford Alabama Track Challenge in Birmingham on Friday, she placed second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.27 seconds. The following day at the Al Schmidt/Bulldog Relays hosted by Mississippi State, the redshirt junior from Hoover, Alabama, turned in a runner-up finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.96 to finish less than a second out of first place. Sanford’s times are both good for second in the SoCon this season. This is Sanford’s third career outdoor weekly honor.
Samford’s Hines also competed at the Samford Alabama Track Challenge on Friday, turning in a leap of 5.82 meters (19 feet, 1.25 inches) to claim third in the long jump. Her mark was an outdoor personal best for the Pelham, Alabama, sophomore and leads the SoCon this season. Hines’ award is the first of her career.
Samford’s Tait earned his second career outdoor honor thanks to his efforts in a pair of meets. At the Samford Alabama Track Challenge on Friday, the sophomore from Alabaster, Alabama, finished third in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 14.47 seconds. The following day at the Al Schmidt/Bulldog Relays in Starkville, Mississippi, Tait took seventh in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.49 seconds. Both marks lead the SoCon this season.
ETSU’s Johnson picked up his first career outdoor honor after setting a pair of school records at the Weems Baskin Invitational in Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday. The junior from Nashville, Tennessee, surpassed his own records the javelin and hammer throw, placing third in the javelin with a mark of 61.65 meters (202 feet, 3 inches) and taking seventh in the hammer with a heave of 57.42 meters (188 feet, 4 inches). Both marks lead the SoCon this year, with his javelin mark sitting more than 8.5 meters in front of the next-best mark in the league and his hammer throw adding more than four feet to his school record. The following day, Johnson took seventh in the discus throw with a distance of 45.93 meters (150 feet, 8 inches).
Also nominated for women’s track athlete of the week: Tessola Duncan (Mercer), Emily Poole (Chattanooga) and Kaitlyn Lingard (Western Carolina).
Also nominated for women’s field athlete of the week: Jaelyn Warren (Western Carolina).
Also nominated for men’s track athlete of the week: Matt Scarr (ETSU) and Chace Washington-Saunders (Western Carolina).
Also nominated for men’s field athlete of the week: Di’Joun Huitt (Western Carolina).
2018 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
Men’s track
March 21 Chace Washington-Saunders, Western Carolina
March 28 Emmanuel Tait, Samford
Men’s field
March 21 Mateius Brown, Western Carolina
March 28 Ben Johnson, ETSU
Women’s track
March 21 Hannah Steelman, Wofford
March 28 Sarah Sanford, Samford
Women’s field
March 21 Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina
March 28 Erin Hines, Samford
-www.SoConSports.com-