MVC Track & Field Weekly Honors (May. 6)
ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Valley Conference revealed the men’s and women’s track and field weekly honors on Wednesday. UNI’s Parker Kieiwet was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, Drake’s Cooper Cerese earned Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors, Indiana State’s Rachel Mehringer was selected Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, and Indiana State’s Aliseonna Garnett received Women’s Field Athlete of the Week recognition.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Parker Kieiwet, UNI, Sr., Dike, Iowa
A Dike, Iowa native, Kiewiet earns his second career weekly conference honor after a strong sprinting performance for the Panthers at the Fresno State Invitational last weekend in California. The redshirt senior ran the second leg of UNI's school record and first-place 4x100-meter relay team alongside Tinashe Chigudu, Luke Meyers and Luke Nevitt in 39.47 seconds, the fastest time in the MVC this season and 0.01 off tying the conference record set by Wichita State in 2003. Kiewiet also captured first place in the men's 200-meter dash at Fresno State with a season-best time of 20.84 seconds, the MVC's top time in the event this year and the sixth-fastest wind legal time in Northern Iowa history. He also placed second in the 100 meters in a career-best 10.49 seconds.
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Cooper Cerese, Drake, Jr., Roselle, IL
Cerese continued his stellar 2026 season in Madison with a runner-up nod in the men’s shot put at the Badger Challenge. Cerese, who finished behind only unattached competitor Jason Swarens, had now led the MVC shot put five times this season. He put up the highest nationally ranked male throwing effort in the league this week. Cerese is now tied for 47th nationally, 21st on the West qualifying list, and fourth in the Midwest region.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Rachel Mehringer, Indiana State, Jr., Schnellville, Ind.
Mehringer made Missouri Valley Conference history at the Music City Challenge, becoming the first athlete in the history of conference to run under 13 seconds in the 100m hurdles. Mehringer ran a program and conference record-breaking time of 12.95 in prelims, then backed up her performance with a time of 12.96 in finals to place first in a field which featured three All-Americans along with the Sun Belt and ASUN indoor hurdles champions. Mehringer’s MVC record time ranks first among wind-legal times in the Great Lakes Region, which includes six Big Ten schools, while placing her eighth in the NCAA East Qualifying list. She also ranks ninth nationally in the event this season, making her the highest-ranked athlete in the conference in any event. Mehringer is one of just 16 athletes in the nation to run a 100 hurdles time under 13 seconds this season, and one of two athletes outside of the Power Four conferences to accomplish the feat.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Aliseonna Garnet, Indiana State, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.
Garnett continued her career-best campaign by finishing as the top collegiate athlete in two throws events at the Music City Challenge, including an outdoor career-best performance in the shot put. Her shot put mark of 16.13m (52-11) placed her fifth in program history and made her the first athlete in the MVC to surpass the 16-meter mark. Garnett also added a first-place finish in the discus by clearing the 50-meter mark for the fourth time this season, with her best attempt measuring at 51.07m (167-7). In addition to her high marks in the shot put and discus, Garnett claimed a sixth-place finish in the invite section of the hammer throw with a mark of 53.30m (174-10), the second-best of her career. Garnett owns the top mark in the conference in both the shot put and discus, while also ranking seventh in the hammer throw. Her shot put mark ranks eighth in the Great Lakes Region, 28th in NCAA East Qualifying and 47th nationally, while her discus mark is fifth in the Great Lakes Region, 24th in NCAA East Qualifying and 47th nationally.