USTFCCCA Awards
Courtesy: Curtis Akey & Tyler Mayforth, USTFCCCA March 20, 2018   

NCAA & NJCAA OTF National Athletes of the Week (March 20)

NEW ORLEANS – The outdoor track & field season is off and running … or jumping … or throwing.

You know what we mean.

Here are those athletes who stood out the most during the early part of the season and were named National Athletes of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.

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

CLICK HERE for a historical listing of National Athletes of the Week in outdoor track & field.

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 indoor track & field athletes (male and female for each of the three NCAA divisions and NJCAA Division I).

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 – Sindri Gudmundsson, Utah State

Sophomore | Throws
Kopavogur, Iceland

Sindri Gudmundsson only needed one throw to make an impact in his debut.

On his first throw of the year, Gudmundsson launched the javelin 80.49m (264-1) to win the event title at the UC Irvine Spring Break Classic and PR by more than 11 feet in the process.

Huge PRs aren’t new for Gudmundsson as he improved his best by nearly 14 feet between the Rafe/JJK Invitational and the Mountain West Championships last year.

This is the first time an athlete from Utah State has been honored as National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Brooke Andersen, Northern Arizona

Senior | Throws
Vista, California

Brooke Andersen opened the 2018 season in a big way.

Andersen, who finished runner-up in the hammer throw at the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, won the event title at the Baldy Castillo Invitational with a heave of 70.98m (232-10). That was the first time Andersen topped 70 meters in her career and made her the sixth best performer in NCAA history.

This is the first time an athlete from Northern Arizona has been honored as National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Josiah Brooks, Lee (Tenn.)

Junior | Sprints/Jumps
Athens, Georgia

Josiah Brooks had a pretty big weekend for Lee (Tenn.) during the Yellow Jacket Invitational.

The junior from Athens, Georgia, put on a show for his home state, finishing second in the 200 with the top time in NCAA Division II this year at 21.02. Brooks was also the top collegiate finisher in the 100 at the meet with a time of 10.50, a time that is tied for fifth on the NCAA Division II Descending Order List.

To cap off his weekend, Brooks also posted the top triple jump mark in NCAA Division II this year with a leap of 15.41m (50-6¾), giving him three NCAA Division II Provisional Qualifying Marks on the week.

Brooks’ triple jump mark ranked sixth amongst all collegiate performers this past weekend, while his 200 time tied for ninth.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Skylyn Webb, UC-Colorado Springs

Junior | Sprints
Delta, Colorado

Only three women hit NCAA Division II Automatic Qualifying Marks this past weekend, and Skylyn Webb was one of them.

Webb, however, also led the entire nation in her event, posting the fastest 800 time amongst all collegiate performers in the 800 with a time of 2:05.24 (converted to 2:04.57 for altitude). Her nearest competitor on the All-Collegiate Descending Order List sits close to three seconds behind her.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Sam Elsner, UW-Stout

Senior | Throws
Pardeeville, Wisconsin

Sam Elsner picked up where he left off during the indoor season in his first outdoor meet.

Elsner soared to the top of the NCAA DIII Descending Order List in the discus, hammer and shot following his performance at the Rhodes Invitational this past weekend.

The senior from Pardeeville, Wisconsin hurled the discus 52.86m (173-5), launched the hammer 59.71m (195-11) for the event title and threw the shot 16.95m (55-7½).

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Wadeline Jonathas, UMass Boston

Sophomore | Sprints
Gonaives, Haiti

Wadeline Jonathas keeps breaking records.

This past weekend at the Hurricane Invitational hosted by the University of Miami, Jonathas clocked a NCAA DIII-record time of 23.29 in the 200. That lowered the old mark of 23.57 that she set last year at the 2017 NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships with a slightly illegal wind at her back (2.4 m/s).

Jonathas currently sits third on the All-Collegiate Descending Order List.

NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – Aldo Marquez-Barajas, Paradise Valley CC

Sophomore | Distance
Yuma, Arizona

Competing at the prestigious Baldy Castillo Invitational, Aldo Marquez-Barajas had a solid showing.

The sophomore from Yuma, Arizona, posted the fastest 1500 time in NJCAA Division I this year with a finish of 3:54.07. Competing against mostly NCAA Division I competition, Marquez-Barajas finished 11th, ahead of athletes from Texas A&M, Northern Arizona, Louisville and Arizona State. His time came in nearly eight seconds under the NJCAA Division I Automatic Qualifying Mark.

NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Kira Williams, Highland CC

Sophomore | Sprints/Jumps
Topeka, Kansas

Kira Williams was all over the place at the Emporia State Spring Invite this weekend.

The product out of Topeka, Kansas, notched two NJCAA Division I leading marks at the meet, posting a 1:04.97 in the 400 hurdles for an event title and a wind-aided mark of 5.75m (18-10½) in the long jump. Additionally, Williams ran a wind-aided 15.18 in the 100 hurdles, placing her fifth on the NJCAA Division I Descending Order List. Her 400 hurdles and long jump marks are both NJCAA Division I Automatic Qualifiers.

NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Gustavo Alvarez, Triton College

Sophomore | Sprints/Jumps/Throws
Elmwood Park, Illinois

Gustavo Alvarez placed himself atop the NJCAA Division III Descending Order List in two events this past weekend at the Early Bird Invitational.

The sophomore from Elmwood Park, Illinois, notched a 4.13m (13-6½) in the pole vault for an NJCAA Division III Automatic Qualifying Mark as well as hitting a 42.07m (138-0) in the javelin. Alvarez also  ran the 200 at the meet, posting a 26.36 that sits fifth on the NJCAA Division III Descending Order List.

NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Katy Pacheco, Middlesex CC

Freshman | Jumps

Katy Pacheco was one of three women from Middlesex CC to hit two NJCAA Division III Automatic Qualifying Marks this past weekend at the UMW Opener. However, Pacheco posted three NJCAA Division III Descending Order List leading marks.

The freshman recorded a pole vault mark of 2.44m (8-0), as well as a triple jump mark of 10.11m (33-2), both of which are NJCAA Division III Automatic Qualifying Marks. Pacheco also recorded a 4.51m (14-9¾) in the long jump, leading the NJCAA Division III so far this season.