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Pac-12 announces track and field athletes of the week

Apr 27, 2015
Pac-12 Conference

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pac-12 Conference outdoor track and field athlete of the week honors for the the week of April 21-26:

Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: THOMAS JOYCE, CALIFORNIA (Jr., Moraga, Calif.). Junior Thomas Joyce won the Don Bowden Mile on Saturday at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge in Berkeley, Calif., defeating the indoor national champion in the mile, UTEP’s Anthony Rotich, setting a new PR and moved into fourth on Cal’s all-time list in the event with a time of 3:58.69. He moved past Bowden himself by one hundredth of a second. Joyce’s win helped lead the Bears to another scoring meet victory, defeating Kansas State, UTEP and Utah State. It is the second time this season, and second in three weeks, the Moraga, Calif., native has won the weekly award.

Also nominated: Jaron Thomas, COLO.

Women’s Track Athlete of the Week: ELISE CRANNY, STANFORD (Fr., Longmont, Colo.). Freshman Elise Cranny led Stanford to its first victory at the Penn Relays since 2006 by running the fastest split in the women’s 4x1500. Cranny ran 4:17.2 on the third leg, helping the Cardinal cross the finish line with a time of 17:27.54, outrunning runner-up North Carolina. Cranny received the baton in the lead, but broke the race open to create a huge gap for anchor Claudia Saunders. A day earlier, Cranny anchored Stanford to second place in the distance medley relay. Cranny covered 1,600 in 4:40.87 for the third-fastest split of the race.

Also Nominated: Annie Leblanc, ORE; Abby Regan, WSU.

Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: JAAK UUDMAE, STANFORD (So., Tallinn, Estonia). Sophomore Jaak Uudmae set two personal records at the Brutus Hamilton Open and Challenge in Berkeley, Calif. At the Open meet on Friday, Uudmae jumped 6-10.75 (2.10m) in only his second collegiate high jump competition, bettering his previous best of 6-9 (2.05m) to move to No. 9 on Stanford’s all-time outdoor performers’ list. The following day, he finished second among collegians and third overall in the Challenge triple jump. In his first collegiate competition in that event, Uudame improved is personal best by nearly four inches while cracking the 50-foot mark for the first time, recording a mark of 50-3.50 (15.32m) to place third. Uudmae, the son of the USSR’s 1980 Olympic champion in this event, accomplished the feat despite using a short approach run. Uudmae has set a personal record (including the long jump) in every indoor and outdoor meet this year.

Also Nominated: Alex Kizirian, COLO.

Women’s Field Athlete of the Week: KRISTINA OWSINSKI, WASHINGTON (Jr., Ridgefield, Wash.). Junior Kristina Owsinski cleared a new career-best and best mark in the Pac-12 this year in the pole vault at 14-feet, 2.50-inches (4.33m) on Saturday at the Triton Invitational. The Ridgefield, Wash., native took first out of a field of 38 athletes and moved to No. 11 nationally this outdoor season, as well as moving to No. 2 on the Husky top-10 list.

Also Nominated: Bekah Daniel. COLO; Megan Glasmann, UTAH.

 

2015 Pac-12 Track & Field Athletes of the Week

Men’s Track: March 24 – BeeJay Lee, USC; March 30 – Harrison Williams, STAN; April 6 – Andre De Grasse, USC; April 13 – Thomas Joyce, CAL; April 20 – Andre De Grasse, USC; April 27 – Thomas Joyce, CAL.

Women’s Track: March 24 – Amalie Iuel, USC; March 30 – Shelby Houlihan, ASU; April 6 – Deanna Hill, USC; April 13 – Kendall Ellis, USC; April 20 – Jenna Prandini, ORE; April 27 – Elise Cranny.

Men’s Field: March 24 – Jax Thoirs, WASH; March 30 – Nicholas Scarvelis, UCLA; April 6 – Conor McCullough, USC; April 13 – Pau Tonnesen, ARIZ; April 20 – Conor McCullough, USC; April 27 – Jaak Uudmae, STAN.

Women’s Field: March 24 – Tera Novy, USC; March 30 – Abrianna Torres, COLO; April 6 – Tera Novy, USC; April 13 - Jenna Prandini, ORE; April 20 – Tera Novy, USC; April 27 – Kristina Owsinski, WASH.