Todd McKown of Wichita State receives this week’s Men’s Track Athlete of the Week while Leeann Michl of Indiana State receives this week’s Valley Women’s Track Athlete of the Week selection. Tim Glover and Brittany Smith of Illinois State both rank number one in the nation in their respective events after impressive performances this past week, earning Valley Men’s and Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors.

 

Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Week

Todd McKown, Wichita State, Sr., Valley Center, Kan.

McKown won the men’s 110-meter hurdles Saturday at the K.T. Woodman Classic at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kan., for his second individual win in the event this season. He won in a wind-aided 13.66, finishing ahead of teammate Lawson Montgomery (13.95). McKown’s time leads the MVC this season. McKown and Montgomery have traded first and second-place finishes in their first three meets of the outdoor season.

 

Other Notable Performances:

Lucas Cherry, Southern Illinois

Omet Kak, Drake

Jeremiah Vaughan, Indiana State

Chase Coffey, Bradley,

Ryan Newtoff, Northern Iowa

Ryan Rutherford, Illinois State

 

Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Track Athlete of the Week

Leeann Michl, Indiana State, Jr., Newton, Ill.

Indiana State junior Leeann Michl won her second straight 800 meter race of the season Saturday at the 2012 Pacesetter Quadrangular, establishing a meet record with a time of 2:08.05. Michl is the MVC leader in the 800 meters and also ranks fifth in the 400 meters this season. The Sycamore junior won by nearly four seconds over Butler’s Kirsty Legg (2:12.99) and was six seconds faster than Southern Illinois’ Mobola Rotibi (2:14.00). Michl also anchored the 4x400 meter relay that won with a time of 3:52.51 over Southern Illinois (3:56.99). Michl ranks 26th nationally in the 800 meters and 14th in the NCAA East.

 

Other Notable Performances:

Tess Shubert, Southern Illinois

Molly Dahlquist, Bradley

Allison Fick, Northern Iowa

Sade Sealy, Illinois State

Natalie Morerod, Wichita State

Kirsten Lake, Drake

Merica Moncherry, Missouri State

 

Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week

Tim Glover, Illinois State, Jr., Normal, Ill.

In just his second meet of the outdoor season, junior Tim Glover threw an unprecedented 266-09 in the javelin, setting a new Illinois State, Missouri Valley and Sea Ray Relays record en route to winning the competition. His mark of 266-09 (81.30m) was three feet three inches further than his NCAA Division I National Championship throw of 263-06 last June. In addition, that mark was also 51 feet further than anyone else competing in the event that day. As a result, Glover received the Tony Wilson Award for the best male field athlete at the Sea Ray Relays, a first for anyone at Illinois State. His mark of 266-09 now ranks him in the top-ten performers of all-time in NCAA Division I (No. 9) and first in the nation this season by 10 feet three inches. His mark was also just 70 centimeters off the Olympic A standard, which would qualify him to represent the United States in the 2012 Olympics in London, if he was to finish in the top-three at the USA Outdoor Championships in July.

 

Other Notable Performances:

Brett Trudo, Wichita State

Earnst Rollins, Indiana State

Jordan Williams, Northern Iowa

 

Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week

Brittany Smith, Illinois State, Jr., Oak Park, Ill.

Illinois State junior Brittany Smith continues her dominating campaign, this time at the Sea Ray Relays where she received the Tony Wilson Award for the best female field athlete at the meet, a first for anyone at Illinois State. En route to her award, Smith set a new Illinois State and career-mark of 58-09.50 in the shot put, winning the event and topping MVC foe Jeneva McCall of Southern Illinois by six inches for the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division I and the Valley. Prior to winning the shot put competition, Smith took second in the hammer throw with a mark of 197-08, before taking second in the discus invitational (180-11) where she was just two inches off of breaking the Illinois State record of 181-00. Just three weeks into the season, Smith has racked up two first-place and six second-place finishes, and holds a top-ten ranking in the nation in all three of her disciplines (SP-1st, HT-6th and DT-7th).

 

Other Notable Performances:

Kenya Culmer, Southern Illinois

Megan Fuller, Wichita State

Kimsue Grant, Missouri State

Richelle Kimble, Indiana State

Olimpia Nowak, Northern Iowa