Todd McKown of Wichita State receives this week’s Valley Men’s Track Athlete of the Week recognition. Illinois State’s Aisha Praught is named this week’s Women’s Track Athlete of the Week.  Cody Doerflein of Southern Illinois receives this week’s Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors, while teammate Jeneva McCall takes home Women’s Field Athlete recognition.

Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Week

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

McKown ran one of the nation's fastest times of the season in the men's 110-meter hurdles Saturday at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. He won the men's 110-meter hurdles Olympic development elite race with a time of 13.69. The time ranks eighth in the nation this season. Teammate Lawson Montgomery finished third overall in 13.77, which tied his season-best mark. McKown ran the MVC's fastest time of the season, a wind-aided 13.66, the week prior at the K.T. Woodman Classic in Wichita.

Other Notable Performances:

Chase Coffey, Bradley

Neal Anderson, Southern Illinois

Aaron Stockstell, UNI

Craig Padgett, Indiana State

Mat Smoody, Illinois State

Omet Kak, Drake

Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Track Athlete of the Week

Aisha Praught, Illinois State, Sr., Moline, Ill.

Illinois State senior Aisha Praught continues her stellar senior campaign, this time, at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. In the Olympic Development section of the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Praught ran an unprecedented 9:51.30, winning the section by five seconds. That time was the third-fastest time on the day between all five sections of the event, including the invite elite which was comprised of mostly professionals.  Her time of 9:51.30 shattered the Illinois State record by 32 seconds (10:23.15) and the Missouri Valley Conference record by 21 seconds (10:12.28), and was five seconds shy of making the all-time performance list in NCAA Division I history. If that wasn’t enough, she stands atop the current NCAA Division I best list ranked No. 1, and has posted the sixth-fastest time worldwide this year. In addition, her time was four seconds faster than the Olympic trials A standard (9:55.00) which will allow her to compete in the trials at the end of June. Currently, Praught holds the top time in the Valley in the steeplechase by 39 seconds over teammate Kristen Zillmer (10:30.43) and is one of four Redbirds holding down the top four spots.

Other Notable Performances:

Aliphine Tuliamuk, Wichita State

Althia Maximilien, Missouri State

Molly Dahlquist, Bradley

Amiris Warren, Southern Illinois

Olimpia Nowak, Northern Iowa

Hanna Mercer, Indiana State

Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week

Cody Doerflein, Southern Illinois, Sr., DuQuoin, Ill.

Senior Cody Doerflein won the men’s pole vault competition Friday at the War Eagle Invitational hosted by Auburn University. The senior took the title with a clearing of 17-04.50 to edge out competitors from Memphis, Auburn, Mississippi State, and Troy University. Doerflein currently holds the top spot in the Valley with the mark of 17-06.50 that he recorded at the Ole Miss Invitational on March 31. With the effort, the DuQuoin, Ill. native raised his previous career best, the second-highest in Southern Illinois history, by a quarter-inch to currently rank him 16th in the nation.

Other Notable Performances:

Tanner Hurt, Northern Iowa

Chris Fields, Indiana State

Curt Jensen, Illinois State

Kevin Harp, Drake

Jon Rizzo, Wichita State

Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week

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

Jeneva McCall continued her national dominance this weekend at Auburn’s War Eagle Invitational winning four events. The senior recorded a throw of 195-0 in the discus to hold as the longest throw in the country. McCall went on to break her own facility record at the Hutsell-Rosen Track that she previously set at the 2011 War Eagle Invitational. The winning throw of 218-07 marks the second time this season she has broken a facility record. McCall broke the facility record in the discus throw at the Ole Miss Track and Field Complex on March 31. Currently, the Dolton, Ill. native ranks second in the nation in the hammer throw and fourth in the shot put.

Other Notable Performances:

Mary Theisen, Indiana State

Brittany Smith, Illinois State

Megan Fuller, Wichita State