This week’s Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Week is Max Tuttle from Indiana State and Althia Maximilien of Missouri State receives this week’s Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. Austin Bahner of Wichita State takes home this week’s Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award while Southern Illinois’ Jeneva McCall has been named Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.

Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Week

Max Tuttle, Indiana State, So., Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana State sophomore Max Tuttle opened up the 2012 Outdoor season by winning the 400 meter hurdles at the Indiana State-Eastern Illinois “Ice Dual” Saturday in Charleston, Ill., with a time of 53.51, holding off Sycamore teammate Ray Skamay (53.90) and Eastern Illinois’ Dominique Hall (54.88) to bring home the win. Tuttle leads the conference in the event and ranks 29th in the NCAA East and 65th nationally. The sophomore also placed fourth in the 110 meter high hurdles with a time of 14.84 and led off the ISU 4x400 meter relay team that finished second in 3:19.09.

Other Notable Performances:

Spencer Jackson, Southern Illinois

Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Track Athlete of the Week

Althia Maximilien, Missouri State, Fr., Bridgetown, Barbados

Althia Maximilien won the 400-meter dash competition at the Bobby Lane Invitational in Arlington, Texas last Saturday (March 24). The Bridgetown, Barbados native ran a 54.23 in her first outdoor event of the season. Her time lands her at the top of the Valley’s Best List by over five seconds. Maximilien competed against Olympic hopefuls and opponents such as sixth national ranked Oklahoma, as well as SMU, TCU, and Northwestern.

Other Notable Performances:

Stacia Weatherford, Indiana State

Tess Shubert, Southern Illinois

Sarah McMahon, Bradley

Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week

Austin Bahner, Wichita State, So., Wichita, Kan.

Bahner led the Wichita State men with a second-place finish in the Trinity University Decathlon March 22-23 in San Antonio, Texas, scoring 7,188 points. His point total ranks second in the nation this season. The total also marked a personal best for Bahner and ranks fourth all-time at Wichita State. In the multi-event, Bahner posted personal-best performances in the decathlon 400 meters (48.94), 110-meter hurdles (16.19), pole vault (14-9) and discus (134-3).

Other Notable Performances:

Jonathan Christensen, Indiana State

J.C. Lambert, Southern Illinois

Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week

Jeneva McCall, Southern Illinois, Sr., Dolton, Ill.

Two weeks after winning an indoor national championship in the weight throw Jeneva McCall had an outstanding opening to her senior outdoor season. The Dolton, Ill. native swept the titles in the shot put, discus throw, and hammer throw Saturday at the Black and Gold Invitational hosted by Vanderbilt University. In the shot, McCall recorded a toss of 58-01.75 and recorded a winning mark of 182-08 in the discus. The senior claimed her last title of the weekend in the hammer throw with a final throw of 227-08. In the opening weekend of outdoor season McCall currently holds the longest mark in the shot and hammer throw in the country.

Other Notable Performances:

Shane Garland, Bradley

Tanya Friesen, Wichita State

Jeláni Kelly, Missouri State

Richelle Kimble, Indiana State