MVC Track & Field Weekly Honors (Feb. 11)
ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Valley Conference revealed the men’s and women’s track and field weekly honors on Wednesday. Indiana State’s Collin Forrest was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, Drake’s Sam Carpenter earned Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors, Northern Iowa’s Emma Randecker was selected Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, and Indiana State’s Niesha Anderson received Women’s Field Athlete of the Week recognition.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Collin Forrest, Indiana State, Sr., Joliet, IL
Collin Forrest produced a career-best weekend at the Fairgrounds Invitational, winning the 60m hurdles with a finals time of 7.93. Forrest moved up to eighth in program history in the event, and also ran a prelims time of 8.01. Forrest’s 7.93 in finals was his fourth time going under the 8-second mark this season, with the Sycamore senior being the only athlete in the conference with multiple 60 hurdles times under the 8-second barrier. Forrest’s time ranks first in the MVC, seventh in the Great Lakes Region and inside the top 100 nationally.
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Sam Carpenter, Drake, Jr., Alexandria, VA
Redshirt junior thrower Sam Carpenter had a career day at the Iowa State Classic last week, as the Bulldog took fourth in the Men's Invite Weight Throw with a toss of 21.12m/69-3 1/2. Carpenter's effort was the highest among nationally ranked performances of all MVC athletes last week and made him the third-highest nationally ranked MVC athlete overall. The Virginia native leads The Valley and is now tied for second in Drake Bulldog history after uncorking the longest throw in the last two years of MVC action. He currently ranks 32nd in the NCAA and 11th in the Midwest Region.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Emma Randecker, Northern IA, Fr., Savanna, IL
A Savanna, Illinois native, Randecker continued a dominant freshman campaign last weekend at Nebraska’s Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational in Lincoln, setting a UNI program and freshman record with a third-place showing in the women’s 200-meter dash in 24.11 seconds. Additionally, she placed third in the women’s 400 meters in 55.33 seconds, the fifth-fastest mark in team history as well. Earlier this indoor season, Randecker clocked the second fastest time in the women’s 300-meter dash (39.65), and was part of two of the three fastest women’s 4x400-meter relay teams in team history, including a school record performance alongside teammates Joey Perry, Jersey Jones and Darci Wiseman at Iowa’s Larry Wieczorek Invitational last month.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Niesha Anderson, Indiana State, Sr., Fort Wayne, IN
Niesha Anderson recorded her best weekend of the season at the Fairgrounds Invitational, finishing as the top collegiate athlete in the weight throw with a mark of 19.56m (64-4.25). Anderson became the first athlete in the conference to clear the 19-meter mark this season, pacing a Sycamore throws group which features the top four weight throw marks in the MVC this season. The senior broke the 18-meter mark on five of her six attempts, with her season-best mark of 19.56 coming on her third throw. Anderson’s mark ranks first in the MVC, eighth in the Great Lakes Region and inside the top 50 nationally.