SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU’s Matt Scarr and Ben Johnson have been named the Southern Conference men’s outdoor track and field athletes of the week, respectively, while Wofford’s McLeod Dean and Mercer’s Alex Williams earned the respective women’s honors, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Selections were made by panels of the league’s track and field coaches and included all competition from April 25 to May 1.

ETSU’s Scarr picked up a pair of wins in the ETSU Tri Star Classic at Kermit Tipton Stadium in Johnson City, Tennessee. On Friday, the Wamberal, New South Wales, Australia, native won the 1,500-meter run in a time of 3:55.93. The following day, the freshman claimed a win in the 800-meter run in 1:53.97, falling just 0.45 seconds off his personal-best time. The weekly award is the first of Scarr’s career.

ETSU’s Johnson earned his third outdoor weekly award of the season and second in a row after an impressive showing in the throws at the Bucs’ own Tri Star Classic. The redshirt junior from Nashville, Tennessee, won the javelin, hammer and discus and placed fourth in the shot put. He opened his meet Friday in the shot put, turning in a mark of 13.60 meters (44 feet, 7.5 inches). Johnson’s next event was the javelin, which he won by nearly 10 meters with a throw of 61.43 meters (201 feet, 6 inches). The following day, Johnson opened with a win in the hammer with a school-record throw of 59.87 meters (196 feet, 5 inches), the second-best throw in the league this season. He closed his meet with a win in the discus with a toss of 51.49 meters (168 feet, 11 inches). 

Wofford’s Dean was also in action at the ETSU Tri Star Classic. The junior from Maryville, Tennessee, won the 400-meter dash, turning in a school-record time of 55.13 seconds. That time is good for second on the SoCon’s performance list this season. The weekly award is the second of the season for Dean and the third for Wofford, a program high in a season.

Mercer’s Williams earned her first career weekly award and the first ever for Mercer in track and field. The senior from College Park, Georgia, took second place in the triple jump at the North Florida Invitational on Friday, turning in a leap of 12.12 meters (39 feet, 9.25 inches). Her mark is tops in the SoCon this season by nearly 5.5 inches. Williams, in her first season with the track and field team after wrapping up a four-year career for the Bears’ three-time SoCon regular-season champion women’s basketball team, also took 19th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.16 seconds.

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

Also nominated for men’s field athlete of the week: Mateius Brown (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
April 4 Simeon Roberts, ETSU
April 11 Emmanuel Tait, Samford
April 18 Dakota Lamont, Western Carolina
April 25 Arsène Guillorel, Samford
May 2 Matt Scarr, ETSU

Men’s field
March 21 Mateius Brown, Western Carolina
March 28 Ben Johnson, ETSU
April 4 Tray Oates, Samford
April 11 Conrad Heinrich, Wofford
April 18 Tray Oates, Samford
April 25 Ben Johnson, ETSU
May 2 Ben Johnson, ETSU

Women’s track
March 21 Hannah Steelman, Wofford
March 28 Sarah Sanford, Samford
April 4 Emma Grace Hurley, Furman
April 11 McLeod Dean, Wofford
April 18 Dasha Arnaut, Western Carolina
April 25 Allie Buchalski, Furman
May 2 McLeod Dean, Wofford

Women’s field
March 21 Makaila McIntyre, Western Carolina
March 28 Erin Hines, Samford
April 4 Jaelyn Warren, Western Carolina
April 11 Alyssa Whipkey, ETSU
April 18 Simone Williams, Western Carolina
April 25 Alisha Blackmon, Western Carolina
May 2 Alex Williams, Mercer

-www.SoConSports.com-