Gemma Tedeschi, Marquette
Butler Sweeps Track Awards, Xavier and Marquette Split Weekly Field Honors
NEW YORK – Tuesday’s Indoor Track Weekly honors will both go to Butler’s 3,000-meter runners, Erik Peterson on the men’s side and Katherine Turner on the women’s side as the pair both marked top eight NCAA times this past week. For Field awards, Xavier’s Zachary Polk and Marquette’s Gemma Tedeschi will be honored. Three of the four weekly winners competed at Indiana University’s Gladstein Invitational on Jan. 22 in Bloomington, Ind.
BIG EAST Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
ERIK PETERSON, Butler, Jr., Barrington, Ill., Distance
Peterson’s fourth-place finish in the men’s 3,000-meter run at Indiana University’s Gladstein Invite on Jan. 22 set the top time in the event this year for the BIG EAST. Peterson finished at 8:02.81 which marked the sixth-fastest time nationally.
BIG EAST Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
ZACHARY POLK, Xavier, So., Hilton Head, S.C., Jumps/Sprints
Polk won the long jump at the Gladstein Invite with a distance of 7.23 meters (23 feet, 8.75 inches) on just his second jump of the meet, breaking the school record that he had previously set during his freshman season last year. He placed first of the 14 Division I participants and his distance was the best mark in the league this season, the 75th furthest jump in the NCAA. The 7.23 meter mark is just .75 meters off the nation’s best mark this year.
BIG EAST Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
KATHERINE TURNER, Butler, Jr., Bradford on Avon, UK, Distance
Turner clocked 9:27.45 in the women’s 3,000-meter run for a second place finish overall behind Notre Dame alumna Rebecca Tracy. Turner’s time in the Gladstein Invite race marked the No. 1 time in the league this season and eighth-fastest time in the NCAA.
BIG EAST Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
GEMMA TEDESCHI, Marquette, So., Palmer Lake, Colo., Pole Vault
Tedeschi finished second in the women’s pole vault event at the Tierney Quad meet on Jan. 23 hosted by UW-Milwaukee. Her personal-best height of 3.70 meters (12 feet, 1.5 inches), tied for second all-time in Marquette history and tied the previous meet record, which was set in 2011.
2015-16 Indoor Track & Field Weekly Honors
Men's Track: Jordan Mann, Providence (Dec. 8); Joseph White, Georgetown (Jan. 19); Eric Peterson, Butler (Jan. 23)
Men's Field: Trevor Kintyhtt, DePaul (Dec. 8); Brian Mada, DePaul (Jan. 19); Zachary Polk, Xavier (Jan. 26)
Women's Track: Sabrina Southerland, Georgetown (Dec. 8), Pariis Garcia, St. John’s (Jan. 19); Katherine Turner, Butler (Jan. 23)
Women's Field: Monique Felix, Marquette (Dec. 8); Gemma Tedeschi, Marquette (Jan. 23)