Wildcats, Hoyas And Red Storm Highlight First #BIGEASTtrack Weekly Honors of 2018
BIG EAST Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Harry Purcell, Villanova, Jr., Sprints (Dublin, Ireland)
An Irish native, Villanova junior Harry Purcell won the 600-meter run at the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 13 with a time of 1:17.85. He won by a half a second over the runner-up from Georgetown and tallied the nation’s leading time in the event this season. Although the NCAA no longer sponsors the even in their indoor championship, the event is still run at certain meets. Purcell’s time is also the second-fastest in school history and is one second faster than he ran at the same meet last season. Purcell also led off the 4x400-meter relay which finished in fifth place with a BIG EAST-leading time of 3:49.97.
BIG EAST Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Paige Hofstad, Georgetown, So., Distance (New Braunfels, Texas)
The Georgetown sophomore made her collegiate debut in the 3,000-meter race with a win at the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 13. Paige Hofstad from New Braunfels, Texas finished at a time of 9:34.00, fifth in the BIG EAST so far this season and 20th nationally.
BIG EAST Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Nyla Woods, St. John’s, Sr., Throws (Fayetteville, Ga.)
St. John’s senior thrower Nyla Woods won the weight throw at the Towson Tiger Invite on Jan. 13 at the New Balance Track & Field Armory. Woods throw of 18.42 meters won the event by nearly two meters. Three of her attempts finished over 18 meters.
Notable Performances
- Butler sophomore Josephine Thestrup marked a BIG EAST leading time of 2:15.84 as she crossed the finish second in the 800-meter race at the Illinois Open.
- DePaul’s Alexia Brooks had a record-breaking day at the Illinois Open as she came in second in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.51 seconds, a DePaul record. She bested her prelim time of 8.56, which broke the record originally.
- Georgetown grad student Jonathan Green won the gold in the 3,000-meter run at the Nittany Lion Challenge, like his co-Hoya Paige Hofstad did in the women’s section of the race. Green coasted to a BIG EAST leading time of 8:11.65 which ranks seventh on the NCAA indoor list.
- Like her teammate Harry Purcell, Villanova’s Rachel McArthur won the 600-meter run at the Nittany Lion Challenge with a time of 1:31.68. Her time ranks fifth on the national indoor performance list and was just .13 seconds off the school record.
2017-18 Indoor Track & Field Weekly Honors
Men's Track: Spencer Brown, Georgetown (Dec. 12); Harry Purcell, Villanova (Jan. 16)
Men's Field: Daniel Armstrong, Marquette (Dec. 12)
Women's Track: Leah Anderson, St. John’s (Dec. 12); Paige Hofstad, Georgetown (Jan. 16)
Women's Field: Jade Nolan, DePaul (Dec. 12); Nyla Woods, St. John’s (Jan. 16)