Pac-12 track and field athletes of the week announced
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- The Pac-12 Conference outdoor track and field athlete of the week honors for the the week of April 7-13:
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: ANDRÉ MCBRIDE, WASHINGTON STATE (So., San Leandro, Calif.). Sophomore André McBride ran lifetime-best times in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes on Saturday at the Jim Click Shootout in Tucson, Ariz. McBride’s 100-meter time was a wind-aided 10.42, currently the fifth-best time in the Pac-12, and his 200-meter wind-aided time was 21.03, also among the top-10 in the Conference this season. He ran the second leg of the men’s 400-meter relay with a season-best time of 40.64. The WSU men won the Shootout men’s team title with 193 points, easily surpassing No. 17 Arizona’s 133 points and Air Force with 99 points.
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week: KYLIE PRICE, UCLA (Jr., Chino Hills, Calif.). Junior Kylie Price won all four events she participated in at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational on Saturday. Price set season-bests in all her open events, starting with a win in the long jump, eclipsing the 21-foot mark for the first time this outdoor season, winning the event with a 21-1.25. She then ran the second leg of the winning 4x100-meter relay, which posted a time of 45.00. Price also recorded a time of 11.56 in the 100 meter before capping off her outing with a win in the 200 in a time of 23.90. UCLA won the double-dual meet against TCU and BYU. It is Price’s second weekly honor this season, winning Pac-12 Women’s Field Athlete of the Week last week.
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: NICK ROSS, ARIZONA (RS-Sr., Murrieta, Calif.). Redshirt-senior Nick Ross won the men’s high jump competition for the second-straight week, his latest victory coming at the Jim Click Shootout in Tucson, Ariz. Jumping from an eight-step approach, rather than his usual 10-step approach, he cleared 7-4.5 (2.25m) for the No. 2 mark in the country this year. His mark is also No. 1 in the west region and No. 1 in the Pac-12. He is a two-time Pac-12 high jump champion, winning the title in 2011 and 2012.
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week: JULIE LABONTÉ, ARIZONA (RS-Sr., Sainte-Justine, Quebec). Senior Julie Labonté earns Pac-12 Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors for the second time in three weeks after she threw 57-1 (17.40m) in the shot put at the Jim Click Shootout. It is the third time this year she has thrown better than 56-0. Labonté’s season-best mark is the No. 3 toss in the country this year and No. 2 in the West region. It is also the top throw in the Pac-12 by nearly four feet. A three-time Pac-12 Champion in the shot put in the event, Labonté threw the discus over 180-0 for the second-time this year, posting a mark of 180-9 (55.09m) which was good for first place overall.
2014 Pac-12 Track & Field Athletes of the Week
Men’s Track: March 25 - Nick Hartle, UCLA; Milan Ristic, CAL; Steven Solomon, STAN; André McBride, WSU.
Women’s Track: March 25 - Jessica Davis, USC; Jenna Prandini, ORE; Laura Roesler, ORE; Kylie McBride, UCLA.
Men’s Field: March 25 - Remington Conatser, USC; Viktor Fajoyomi, USC, Avery Mickens, ARIZ; Nick Ross, ARIZ.
Women’s Field: March 25 - Emily Hunsucker, COLO; Julie Labonté, ARIZ; Kylie Price, UCLA; Julie Labonté, ARIZ.