Four Schools Highlight Weekly Indoor Track & Field Awards
NEW YORK – One week away from the BIG EAST Indoor Track & Field Championships presented by Jeep and distance running continues to be a strength for the league on the national stage. This week’s weekly award winners come from four different schools: Villanova, DePaul, Georgetown and Marquette. Three of the winners are repeats with Villanova’s Patrick Tiernan earning track athlete of the week for the first time as his debut run this past weekend shot him to the top of the national performance list.
BIG EAST Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
PATRICK TIERNAN, Villanova, Sr., Toowoomba, Australia, Distance
Tiernan made his season debut by running the nation’s leading time in the 3,000 meters at the FastTrack National Invite in Staten Island, N.Y. His time of 7:48.55 lowered his previous personal best by more than nine seconds. He also came within one second of a school record which has stood for 14 years. His finish is the fastest in the league this season by a margin of three seconds. This race was his first competition since the cross country national championship race in November.
BIG EAST Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
BRIAN MADA, DePaul, Fr., Manicaland, Zimbabwe, Jumps
For the third time this season, Mada earns the league’s men’s field athlete of the week honor by once again breaking the 15-meter mark and another top performance in the conference with a distance of 15.07 meters in the triple jump. Mada was the event winner at the Hoosier Hills Invitational with a mark that ranks 76h nationally. The distance was the second-longest indoor triple jump performance in the BIG EAST since the 2013-14 season.
BIG EAST Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
ANDREA KEKLAK, Georgetown, Grad Student, Sudbury, Mass., Distance
Earning her second BIG EAST honor of the season, Keklak once again raced to a top time in the BIG EAST setting a school record in the women’s indoor mile, besting the previous time by .20 seconds. Keklak finished at 4:33.24 for the third-best time in the nation and the best time in the BIG EAST. Her time is tops by more than two and a half seconds. This is the third record Keklak has set this indoor season.
BIG EAST Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
MONIQUE FELIX, Marquette, Fr., Sheboygan, Wis., Jumps
Also a repeat winner, Felix took first place and set a new freshman record in the triple jump with a distance of 11.99 meters at the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, Mich. It was her second victory in the triple jump this season and was a new BIG EAST top performance this season.
NOTEABLE PERFORMANCES
- Butler’s Olivia Pratt added to her national caliber resume by clocking in at 15:59.80 in the 5,000-meter run at the Husky Classic on Feb. 12. Her time was good enough for 10th in the fast heat, but overall ranks 21st in the NCAA and second in the conference this season.
- Georgetown’s Ahmed Bile ran the second-fastest time in Georgetown history with an event-win in the 3,000-meter run at the Boston University Valentine Invitational. His time of 7:51.77 ranks ninth in the country and second in the BIG EAST.
2015-16 Indoor Track & Field Weekly Honors
Men's Track: Jordan Mann, Providence (Dec. 8); Joseph White, Georgetown (Jan. 19, Feb. 3); Eric Peterson, Butler (Jan. 23); Ahmed Bile, Georgetown (Feb. 8); Patrick Tiernan, Villanova (Feb. 16)
Men's Field: Trevor Kintyhtt, DePaul (Dec. 8); Brian Mada, DePaul (Jan. 19, Feb. 8, Feb. 16); Zachary Polk, Xavier (Jan. 26); Max Bullard, Marquette (Feb. 3)
Women's Track: Sabrina Southerland, Georgetown (Dec. 8, Feb. 8), Pariis Garcia, St. John’s (Jan. 19); Katherine Turner, Butler (Jan. 23); Andrea Keklak, Georgetown (Feb. 3, Feb. 16)
Women's Field: Monique Felix, Marquette (Dec. 8, Feb. 16); Gemma Tedeschi, Marquette (Jan. 23); Nyla Woods, St. John’s (Feb. 3, Feb. 8)