SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman’s Frank Lara and ETSU’s Ben Johnson have been named the Southern Conference men’s indoor track and field athletes of the week, respectively, while Furman’s Savannah Carnahan and ETSU’s Mekayla Brown 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 Feb. 7-9.
Furman’s Lara finished 10th in the 5,000-meter run at the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, on Friday, turning in a SoCon-leading time of 14:01.36. The senior from Houston, Texas, ranks 45th on the NCAA Division I performance list with that effort, which tops the SoCon performance list by nearly 18 seconds. The indoor weekly award is the second of Lara’s career. His first came nearly a year ago to the day, on Feb. 14, 2018.
ETSU’s Johnson competed at the Music City Challenge in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, finishing fifth overall and third among attached collegiate student-athletes in the weight throw with a toss of 20.60 meters (67 feet, 7 inches) on Friday. That mark was the third-best throw of the season for Johnson, who leads the SoCon and ranks 13th on the DI performance list in the event. Johnson also competed in the shot put on Saturday, finishing 15th with a throw of 15.61 meters (51 feet, 2 3/4 inches). The redshirt senior also sits atop the SoCon performance list in that event with a throw from earlier in the season. The weekly award was Johnson’s second of the season and fifth of his career, tying him for second in league history.
Furman’s Carnahan finished fifth in the 5,000-meter invitational run at the Iowa State Classic on Friday, turning in a time of 15:53.58. The mark is the top time in the SoCon by nearly 4 seconds and ranks 26th on the NCAA Division I performance list. The award is the first this season and the second overall for the junior from Cumming, Georgia.
ETSU’s Brown set a personal best in the triple jump at the Music City Challenge on Saturday, winning her flight and finishing eighth overall with a leap of 11.95 meters (39 feet, 2 1/2 inches). The freshman from Elgin, South Carolina, sits second in the SoCon performance list this season with that effort. The weekly award is the first of her career.
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
Jan. 30 Chace Washington-Saunders, Western Carolina
Feb. 6 Ben Varghese, ETSU
Feb. 13 Frank Lara, Furman
Men’s field
Jan. 17 Longinus Nnodim, Wofford
Jan. 23 Ben Johnson, ETSU
Jan. 30 Trini Feggett, Western Carolina
Feb. 6 Conrad Heinrich, Wofford
Feb. 13 Ben Johnson, ETSU
Women’s track
Jan. 17 Karisa Nelson, Samford
Jan. 23 Karisa Nelson, Samford
Jan. 30 Karisa Nelson, Samford
Feb. 6 Hannah Steelman, Wofford
Feb. 13 Savannah Carnahan, Furman
Women’s field
Jan. 17 Jackie Barnes, Samford
Jan. 23 Sarah Leckman, VMI
Jan. 30 Victoria Solheim, Western Carolina
Feb. 6 Maggie Johnston, Samford
Feb. 13 Mekayla Brown, ETSU
-www.SoConSports.com-