Fay Nabs Second Pac-12 Athlete Of The Week Honor

SEATTLE -- For the second time this season, Brian Fay has been named the Pac-12 Men's Track Athlete of the Week. Both awards have come after school-record-shattering runs from the first year Husky from Ireland.

Fay becomes the first Husky to win multiple Pac-12 Athlete of the Week honors in one season since UW Hall of Fame sprinter Ja'Warren Hooker in 2000.

The fourth school record of Fay's season was perhaps his most impressive. At the Bryan Clay Invitational last Thursday night hosted by Azusa Pacific, Fay unleashed a monster kick to erase a seemingly insurmountable lead of approximately 30-meters on the backstretch. He sprinted through the line in the sixth-fastest time in NCAA history, 13:16.52, breaking the Husky outdoor record by eleven seconds, and going more than seven seconds faster than his indoor 5k school record set back in February. It also ranks him No. 5 in Ireland Athletics history.

Is this the greatest 5K comeback in the history of 5K comebacks?
??: https://t.co/XCTN92KbMP pic.twitter.com/n2JdlTislN

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) April 16, 2022

Fay fell to his hands and knees after the unbelievable effort, which had the race announcers on the Flotrack.org live stream calling it "one of the best final laps you'll ever see" but after catching his breath and gathering his thoughts, Fay leaped to his feet and jumped into the arms of his teammates on the side of the track.

No Husky had ever broken 13:30 in the 5,000-meters until Isaac Green went 13:27.26 at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Three Dawgs went under 13:30 in the same race on Thursday, including Green once again.
 
Along with Fay, Kieran Lumb took over the new No. 2 time in school history with a lifetime-best of 13:23.26 to take fourth. Green finished eighth tonight in 13:29.55, his second time going sub-13:30.

It is Fay's fourth school record of 2022. He broke the UW 10,000-meters record on Mar. 25 by nine seconds at the Raleigh Relays with a time of 28:22.31. He set the indoor 5k school record at 13:24.00, and anchored the school record-setting DMR as well.

Washington has the Dual Meet coming up next, this Friday in Pullman, with first events scheduled for 11 a.m.

Pac-12 Track & Field Athletes of the Week