USTFCCCA Awards
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA February 8, 2022   

NCAA & NJCAA ITF National Athletes of the Week (Feb. 8)

NEW ORLEANS – This season is NOT slowing down!

Here are the National Athletes of the Week in NCAA and NJCAA Indoor Track & Field for February 8!

Find out more about each of these athletes by clicking their names or scrolling below.

National Athlete of the Week is an award selected and presented by the USTFCCCA Communications Staff at the beginning of each week to eight collegiate track & field athletes, when applicable (male and female for each of the three NCAA divisions and the NJCAA).

Nominations are open to the public. Coaches and sports information directors are encouraged to nominate their student-athletes; as are student-athletes, their families and friends, and fans of their programs. Nominated athletes are noticed before those athletes found through searching TFRRS.

The award seeks to highlight not only the very best times, marks and scores on a week-to-week basis, but also performances that were significant on the national landscape and/or the latest in a series of strong outings. Quality of competition, suspenseful finishes and other factors will also play a role in the decision.

NCAA DIVISION I MEN – Zach McWhorter, BYU

Sophomore | Pole Vault
Springdale, Arkansas

Zach McWhorter keeps raising the bar.

Well, actually, the officials do – but you get the point.

McWhorter won an incredible duel against Sondre Guttormsen of Princeton at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge this past weekend and in doing so, climbed the all-time chart. The BYU standout topped 5.85m (19-2¼) on his third attempt at the height to move into a tie with Jacob Davis as the fifth-best performer in collegiate indoor history.

Guttormsen pushed McWhorter the whole way, as the duo went bar-for-bar through 5.75m (18-10¼). McWhorter needed at least two attempts at a few of the earlier heights, but cleared 5.65m (18-6½) and 5.75m (18-10¼) without trouble. Then McWhorter seized the victory.

This is the second time this season that McWhorter has been named National Athlete of the Week. He previously earned the honor on December 14, following his previous PR effort.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Aurora Rynda, Michigan

Senior | Mid-Distance
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Aurora Rynda has never made the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in an individual event. Back in 2019, she toted the baton third on the 800-meter leg for the Wolverines’ distance medley relay team that finished sixth in the final.

Rynda is going to change that in her senior year.

Competing at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational this past weekend, Rynda surged to the national lead in the 800 meters, as she traversed nearly three laps of the oversized track in 2:02.89. Rynda is the first collegian with a sub-2:05 effort this season. That marked a substantial indoor PR for her and isn’t too far off her all-conditions collegiate best of 2:01.35 that she notched last year at the NCAA DI East Preliminary Round.

This marks just the second time in program history that a female athlete from Michigan has been named National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. The last time it happened was February 19, 2019, when the Wolverine distance medley relay scorched the track.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Benjamin Azamati, West Texas A&M

Sophomore | Sprints
Akim Oda, Ghana

Benjamin Azamati opened his season in style.

The sophomore speedster from Ghana got his day started at the New Mexico Classic with a new PR in the 60 of 6.55. That is the second-fastest time in NCAA DII history. And that was just the prelims.

In the finals, Azamati scorched the track in 6.54 to win the 60 and tied the NCAA DII record set by North Carolina Central’s Jason Smoots in 2003. Azamati shined as the only DII athlete in the otherwise DI-heavy final, topping LSU’s Da’Marcus Fleming by 0.06 seconds. He now has the fastest time in DII and is the fourth-fastest among collegians this year.

This is the second time Azamati has been named National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. He previously earned the honor on February 23, 2021.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Zada Swoopes, West Texas A&M

Senior | Throws
Whitewright, Texas

Zada Swoopes continues to throw bombs.

The senior from Whitewright, Texas picked up two victories at the New Mexico Classic. In her signature event, Swoopes won the shot put with a season’s best mark of 17.19m (56-4¾) that came on her fifth attempt of the day. Already the No. 3 performer in NCAA DII history for the indoor shot put at 17.48m (57-4¼), Swoopes’ winning toss tied the second-best mark of her career. She is also ranked ninth among all collegians this year.

Swoopes also won the weight throw with a competition-best toss of 19.30m (63-4). That moves her to No. 7 on the Descending Order List.

This is the second time that Swoopes has been named National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. She previously earned the honor on February 4, 2020.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Mike Jasa, Loras

Senior | Mid-Distance
Fairfax, Iowa

Mike Jasa is getting closer to NCAA Division III immortality.

Jasa, competing at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational this past weekend, PR’d in the 800 meters with his 1:49.45 effort on the oversized track. The Loras standout finished runner-up in an otherwise NCAA Division I-loaded field and ended up third in the overall 48-man standings.

All told, Jasa moved up to No. 5 on the all-time, all-conditions NCAA DIII chart. Jasa now trails four other men and is just 0.12 seconds off the fastest time run on an oversized track in NCAA DIII history. Should Jasa get a crack at a quick four-lapper on a regulation, 200-meter track, the NCAA DIII record of 1:47.43 set by Ben Scheetz of Amherst in 2012 could certainly be in play.

Jasa etched his name all over the NCAA DIII Descending Order List this season, as well. He is ranked first nationally in the 800, third nationally in the 400 and is a member of the second-ranked 4×400 relay.

This is the second time this season that Jasa has been named National Athlete of the Week. He previously earned the honor on December 14 following his impressive 800-4×400 double.

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Kassie Parker, Loras

Senior | Distance
Guttenberg, Iowa

What do you remember about 2005?

Apple just released the iPod shuffle.

“We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey topped the charts.

Missy Buttry held the all-time, all-conditions NCAA DIII best in the 3000 meters.

Well, 2022 sure is different in a number of ways.

Buttry is no longer the fastest woman at the 3000-meter distance after Kassie Parker turned nearly 10 laps of the oversized oval at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational in 9:13.10. That took 0.03 seconds off Buttry’s mark, which still stands as the divisional record since it was run on a regulation, 200-meter track. Parker ended up fourth in an otherwise NCAA DI-loaded field and beat two All-Americans from the 2021 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships in Joyce Kimeli and Megan Hasz, both of whom finished in the top-25 (Don’t overlook Parker, though, who was the individual champion at the NCAA DIII meet).

Parker headlined a sensational weekend by women at the NCAA DIII level. The Loras standout was one of three athletes who took down records or all-time bests. Parker was joined by new 800 meter record-holder Esther Seeland of Messiah and Ella Baran of Johns Hopkins, who took down Buttry’s divisional record in the mile (Both Baran and Seeland competed at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge at the New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory).

This is the second time in the past two years that Parker has been named National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Parker previously earned the distinction on February 23, 2021.

NJCAA MEN – Martin Lamou, Iowa Central CC

Freshman | Jumps
Saint-Raphael, France

Martin Lamou had just one measured triple jump at the Frank Sevigne Invitational, but it was a good one.

Not only did the effort of 16.33m (53-7) win the competition, but it also moved Lamou to No. 8 on the NJCAA all-time list with the farthest JUCO mark since 2014. Combining collegians from all divisions and organizations, he is No. 4 this year.

Lamou is the fourth male athlete from Iowa Central CC to be named National Athlete of the Week in indoor track & field.

NJCAA WOMEN – Kimeone McLeod, New Mexico JC

Sophomore | Hurdles
St. Catherine Parish, Jamaica

Another meet, another hurdles PR for Kimeone McLeod.

McLeod actually set a pair of PRs in the 60-meter hurdles at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. A time of 8.39 in the prelims moved her up to No. 7 on the all-time NJCAA list. An hour later she lowered her best to 8.35 in the final, climbing up two more spots to No. 5 all-time.

McLeod has now PRed at least once in all four of her meets this year. She was runner-up last year in the 100H at the NJCAA Outdoor Championships.

McLeod is the second female athlete from New Mexico JC to earn this award twice in the same year – the other is Demisha Roswell in 2020, the year she moved to No. 2 all-time at 8.17 in the 60H.