February 3, 2014
NEW ORLEANS – Another win, another Division II indoor shot put record and a third consecutive National Athlete of the Week award: just another weekend for Minnesota State’s Christopher Reed.
Only this time, he has to share the national honor for Division II. With another shot putter, of all people, asPaul Davis of McMurry is hot on his heels for the all-time top mark in Division II indoor history.
Reed’s winning throw of 65-10¼ (20.07m) at the MSU Mankato Open extended his division record from last weekend by about eight inches, while Davis’ 65-3¼ (19.89m) in winning the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open – over 2013 DI indoor shot put runner-up Kole Weldon of Texas Tech, no less – was a two-and-a-half foot improvement from last week to boost him to No. 2 all-time indoors in DII.
Unfortunately this rivalry can only extend through the regular season, as McMurry is currently ineligible for postseason competition as a transitional Division II program. It announced this past Friday it will return to Division III.
Reed and Davis weren’t the only two rewriting the record books.
Sami Spenner of Nebraska-Omaha – also ineligible for postseason competition as a transitional Division I program – earned the Division I women’s honor with a historic 4406 in the pentathlon at Northern Iowa. The score makes her the sixth woman in collegiate history to post a score surpassing 4400, and just the third American collegian to do so.
Deon Lendore of Texas A&M garnered the Division I men’s honor with a 45.47 over 400 meters to defeat the next two fastest runners in the nation entering the weekend, along with a furious 44.57 anchor leg of the 4×400 to attempt to bring the Aggies back for the win.
Danielle Williams of Johnson C. Smith earned Division II’s women’s honor with Division-leading wins at 200 meters and in the 60-meter hurdles at a very competitive Penn State National.
In what turned out to be a banner weekend for the women’s indoor pentathlon, Amelia Campbell of Carletonjumped to No. 3 on the all-time indoor performers list in Division III to earn National Athlete of the Week over another pair of pentathletes who joined the all-time top-10.
Division III’s men’s honor went to Mount Union thrower Sean Donnelly, who etched his name into the Division III record books as the No. 5 weight thrower in Division history.
Full info on each of the winners’ weekends can be found below.
National Athletes of the Week are announced each Monday throughout the season, with male and female awards for all three NCAA Divisions. Nominations are open to the public and can be completed here.
DIVISION I MEN
Deon Lendore, Texas A&M
Junior | Sprints
Arima, Trinidad and Tobago | Queen’s Royal College
School Bio | TFRRS Profile
For the second consecutive week Lendore posted a collegiate- and world-leading time over 400 meters, this time in 45.47 by defeating rival The Bowerman Watch List member Arman Hall of Florida and a slew of other national contenders at the Arkansas Razorback Team Invitational.
He edged Hall by .16 of a second and topped fifth-ranked James Harris of Florida State, sixth-ranked teammate Aldrich Bailey, Jr., and eighth ranked Neil Braddy of Arkansas.
His two races at 400 meters this season both rank among the three fastest times in the collegiate ranks.
He was back in action for the 4×400 meter relay, and though his Aggies finished third it was by fault of Lendore, who clocked a blistering 44.57 on the final leg. According to Texas A&M, it is the fourth-fastest relay split ever recorded indoors by either a professional or collegian.
Honorable Mention:
Arman Hall, Florida – Though he finished runner-up to Lendore at 400, he recorded the second-fastest time by a collegian in 2014 in 45.63 and anchored the Gators’ 4×400 meter relay team to a collegiate-leading 3:04.46. He also defeated collegiate leader Prezel Hardy, Jr., of Texas A&M at 200 meters in 20.71, which ranks second among collegians in 2014.
Chukwuebuka Enekwichi, Purdue – Continued a dominant weight throw season with a winning toss of 77-6 (23.62m) at Findlay to move to No. 9 on the all-time collegiate performer list. Four of his six throws were better than the No. 2 collegian’s best mark in 2014.
Penn State Distance Medley Relay Team – The quartet of Brandon Kidder, Brandon Bennett-Green, Za’Von Watkins and Robby Creese ran 9:26.59 on their home track for the second-fastest time in collegiate history, beating Stanford’s No. 4 all-time mark of 9:28.95.
Lawi Lalang, Arizona – Easily won the 3000 meters race at Washington in 7:44.20 (oversized track) for the seventh-fastest all-conditions indoor time in collegiate history.
Greggmar Swift, Indiana State – Has won all eight races in the 60-meter hurdles this season, culminating in a collegiate-leading 7.64 win at the Indiana Relays.
DIVISION I WOMEN
Sami Spenner, Nebraska-Omaha
Senior | Multi-Events
Columbus, Neb. | Scotus Central Catholic HS/Wayne State (Neb.)
School Bio | TFRRS Profile
Though Spenner’s name won’t show up atop the indoor pentathlon national descending order list – her Nebraska Omaha program is ineligible for NCAA championship competition as a transitional Division I team – it will show up on the all-time collegiate top-10 performers list at No. 6 after her 4406 score at the Northern Iowa Jack Jennett Invitational this past weekend.
The score – better than any other collegians’ this season – makes her just the sixth collegiate woman to surpass 4400 points, and the third American collegian to do so.
Not only did she win the overall pentathlon by more than 500 points, she won four of the five individual components in addition to a runner-up finish in the 60-meter hurdles. Her long jump mark of 20-9 (6.32m) ranks sixth among all collegians in 2014, and was one of the four individual component personal-bests she set on the day.
She also won the triple jump with a mark of 40-6¼ (12.35m).
Honorable Mention:
Justine Fedronic, Stanford – Ran an indoor personal-best 2:03.25 over 800 meters at Penn State for the nation’s No. 2 time, in addition to anchoring the Stanford distance medley relay team to the third-fastest time in collegiate history in 10:54.04 with a 4:33 split on the 1600-meter leg.
Jasmin Stowers, LSU – Won the 60-meter hurdles at altitude in New Mexico in 7.99 for the second-fastest time among collegians in 2014.
Kylie Price, UCLA – Jumped a collegiate-leading 21-2 (6.45m) in the long jump for her 2014 debut, bettering her previous indoor personal record.
Ciarra Brewer, Florida – Won the triple jump at the Arkansas Razorback Team Invitational with a mark of 44-5½ (13.55m) to defeat the No. 2 and No. 3 collegians in 2014.
DIVISION II MEN
Christopher Reed, Minnesota State
Senior | Throws
Omaha, Neb. | Central HS
School Bio | TFRRS Profile
Paul Davis
Senior | Throws
Lubbock, Texas | Coronado HS
School Bio | TFRRS Profile
Reed is the first individual to win three consecutive National Athlete of the Week nods in a row, regardless of division, since the award began last January. His winning mark of 65-10¼ (20.07m) at the MSU Mankato Open improved his Division II record by about eight inches and made him the lone man in Division II indoor history to surpass 20 meters. He is the fourth man in Division II history to accomplish that feat either indoors or outdoors.
He also won the weight throw with a mark of 62-8½ (19.11m).
Splitting the award with him was McMurry’s Paul Davis, another shot putter who tossed his way to No. 2 on the all-time indoor Division II list with a winning mark of 65-3¼ (19.89m) at the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open. He defeated 2013 NCAA Division I indoor shot put runner-up Kole Weldon of Texas Tech by nearly two meters along the way.
Indoor shot put record holder Reed and outdoor shot put record holder Davis may be the top two on the descending order list for Division II, but their rivalry will unfortunately not culminate in a showdown at the NCAA Championships as McMurry is ineligible as a transitional Division II member.
Reed is fifth among all collegians in 2014, while Davis is seventh.
Honorable Mention:
Keenan Soles, Pittsburg State – Won the long jump at the Missouri Southern Lion Invitational with Division-leading mark of 25-8 (7.82m) to jump to No. 8 on the all-time DII indoor performers list.
DeJon Wilkinson, Saint Augustine’s – Won the triple jump at the Penn State National with a DII-leading 52-6½ (16.01m) to tie No. 10 on the all-time Division II performers list.
Nathan Hancock, Minnesota State – Scored a 2014 DII-best 5371 points to win the heptathlon at the MSU Mankato Open and move to No. 8 on the all-time DII indoor performers list.
DIVISION II WOMEN
Danielle Williams, Johnson C. Smith
Senior | Sprints/Hurdles
St. Andrew, Jamaica
School Bio | TFRRS Profile
The Penn State National was deemed by the USTFCCCA a Division I meet to watch last week, but it was a Division II student-athlete in Williams who took center stage in the sprints and hurdles.
First came three rounds of the 60-meter hurdles on Friday. She navigated through the prelims and semifinals with the sixth- and fourth-fastest times, respectively, but she saved her best for last. She ran 8.14 in the final to edge out professional sister Shermaine by just .01 to record 2014′s fastest time in Division II.
Her times of 8.25 in the prelims and 8.20 in the semifinals were both Division-leading times when she ran them.
The following day she ran the second of two sections of the 200 meters, claiming the overall win in a Division II-leading 23.53, and also as a leg of the Golden Bulls’ fifth-place 4×400 relay team. Johnson C. Smith is the third-fastest program on the qualifying list.
Among all collegians Williams currently ranks seventh in the 60-meter hurdles and tied for ninth at 200 meters with three other women.
Honorable Mention:
Yanique Ellington, Lincoln (Mo.) – Won both the 60 meters and 200 meters at the GVSU Five-Way to help No. 1 Lincoln defeat No. 2 Grand Valley State, 141-132.
Jessica Bridenthal, Ashland – Threw a Division II-leading 67-8 (20.62m) in the weight throw at the Findlay Open in a third-place finish in the elite section and finished sixth in the shot put elite
DIVISION III MEN
Sean Donnelly, Mount Union
Junior | Throws
Willoughby, Ohio | Willoughby South HS
School Bio | TFRRS Profile
Donnelly did double-duty this past weekend, competing Friday in the elite weight throw section at Findlay before returning to his full team and helping his No. 3 Mount Union men to the team title at the OAC North Split meet the following day.
As the only Division III competitor in the field at Findlay, he finished sixth with a throw of 66-2½ (20.18m) to join the all-time top-10 performers list for Division II at No. 5. He is just the fifth DIII man to surpass 66 feet.
He nearly did it again at Saturday’s OAC meet, winning the weight throw with a mark of 65-1½ (19.84m) in addition to claiming the shot put title with a personal-best mark of 57-1½ (17.41m). He is currently No. 2 on the Division III shot put list in 2014.
Honorable Mention:
Rick Valcin, Dubuque – Not only did he record Division III’s top pole vault mark of 2014 with a 16-6 (5.03m) clearance at the Cornell College Hilltop Invitational, he also finished third at 60 meters in 7.04 and is currently in the top-25 on the 2014 DIII list in that event.
Eric Larson, Central (Iowa) – Won the heptathlon at the Wartburg Select with a Division III-leading score of 5271, just six points shy of his 2013 NCAA-title-winning score.
Bruce Gray, Greenville – Won the 60 meters at Illinois Wesleyan in a DIII-best 6.80 – just shy of the all-time top-10 in that event – and also won the 200 in 22.39, converted to 22.00 for qualifying because of track size
DIVISION III WOMEN
Ameila Campbell, Carleton
Sophomore | Multi-Events
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. | Sturgeon Bay HS
School Bio | TFRRS Profile
Campbell was the lone Division III competitor in the indoor pentathlon at the MSU Mankato Open, but in the end that didn’t matter much as she won the event by more than 100 points with a score of 3671. The score not only gives her the Division III lead in 2014, but also places her at No. 3 on the all-time performers list for Division III.
Her first pentathlon of the 2014 season improved her personal record by more than 400 points, as she set two individual component personal records in the high jump and the 800 meters, and was .01 from 60-meter hurdles PR.
She recorded the fastest time at 800 meters and was in the top four in all other events.
Her high jump mark of 5-5¼ (1.66m) was good for a tied at 12th on the 2014 DIII list, and she is currently tied at No. 21 on the long jump list in DIII. She is also No. 10 on the 60-meters hurdles list from earlier this season.
Honorable Mention:
Jana Hieber, Tufts – Won the Tufts Stampede pentathlon with a score of 3622 for the fifth spot on the all-time Division III performers list.
Charity Arn, George Fox – Scored 3547 to finish third in the pentathlon at the Ed Jacoby Invitational for the No. 7 spot on Division III’s all-time performer list.
Marissa Kalsey, Westminster (Pa.) – Finished runner-up at the SPIRE Midwest Open in the pole vault with a mark of 13-1½ (4.00m) for the No. 8 spot on the all-time Division III performers list.
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