SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford’s Owen Bailey and ETSU’s Ben Johnson have been named the Southern Conference men’s indoor track and field athletes of the week, respectively, while Samford’s Karisa Nelson and VMI’s Sarah Leckman 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 competition held Jan. 17-20.
Samford’s Bailey won the mile at the Samford Invite at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday, finishing in a SoCon-leading and personal-best time of 4:11.09. The senior from Woodstock, Georgia, set a meet record with his finish, which was more than 2 seconds faster than that of runner-up Wesley Curles (unattached) and nearly 9 seconds ahead of the next attached runner. Bailey’s time leads the SoCon by 3.85 seconds. The weekly award is the first of his career.
ETSU’s Johnson picked up his fourth career indoor weekly honor by winning the weight throw and finishing fifth in the shot put at the Gamecock Inaugural in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday. The redshirt senior from Nashville, Tennessee, won the weight throw with a mark of 21.13 meters (69 feet, 4 inches), besting the closest competitor by nearly 2.5 meters and setting the facility record at the new Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex. His mark leads the SoCon by 4.58 meters (15 feet, 1/4 inch) and is tied for ninth on the NCAA Division I performance list so far. Johnson threw the shot put 15.62 meters (51 feet, 3 inches), which leads the SoCon by 1.84 meters (6 feet, 1/2 inch).
Samford’s Nelson repeated as track athlete of the week and claimed her third career indoor honor after winning the 800-meter run at the Samford Invite in meet-record time Friday. The senior from Brewton, Alabama, shaved more than 9 seconds off the old mark of 2:15.00, stopping the clock in 2:05.47, more than 6 six seconds ahead of runner-up Brenda Ayuk of Kennesaw State. Nelson’s mark is tops in the SoCon by more than 5 seconds and is fourth on the NCAA Division I performance list so far this season.
VMI’s Leckman competed in the shot put and weight throw at the Keydet Invitational in Lexington, Virginia, over the weekend, highlighted by her eighth-place finish in the shot Saturday with a throw of 13.39 meters (43 feet, 11 1/4 inches), a mark that leads the conference by 0.19 meters (7 1/2 inches). The sophomore from Alexandria, Virginia, also finished 27th in the weight throw Friday with a heave of 12.68 meters (41 feet, 7 1/4 inches). The weekly award is the first of her career.
Also nominated for men’s track athlete of the week: Adam Bradtmueller (ETSU) and Colin Alexander (UNCG).
2018-19 Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week
Men’s track
Jan. 17 Ben Varghese, ETSU
Jan. 23 Owen Bailey, Samford
Men’s field
Jan. 17 Longinus Nnodim, Wofford
Jan. 23 Ben Johnson, ETSU
Women’s track
Jan. 17 Karisa Nelson, Samford
Jan. 23 Karisa Nelson, Samford
Women’s field
Jan. 17 Jackie Barnes, Samford
Jan. 23 Sarah Leckman, VMI
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