USTFCCCA News & Notes
NAIA ITF National Athletes of the Week (Feb. 9)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Here are the NAIA Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Athletes of the Week, as released on Wednesday afternoon by the NAIA National Office.
Men’s Athletes of the Week
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Luke Skinner, Saint Mary (Kan.)
Skinner’s 1000m time is the No. 1 NAIA mark this year as well as a school record. His 800m time is the No. 3 NAIA mark this year as well as a school record. Won both events.
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Zach Nichols, Southeastern (Fla.)
Nichols posted a career-best in the Weight Throw and the No. 3 mark nationally this season with a 19.93 to win The Sun Conference title. He also hit the B qualifying standard in the Shot Put to win the event and post a 20-point day and help the Fire win their second consecutive Sun Conference Indoor championship.
Women’s Athletes of the Week
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Praise Idamaduda, Cumberland (Tenn.)
In her collegiate debut, Idamaududa took first place in the 60m, 200m, and 400m while also qualifying with NAIA “A” Standards for all three events. Praise’s first-place finishing times of 23.86s and 53.82s in the 200m and 400m are the fastest in the NAIA so far this season. Her time of 7.47s in the 60m is currently tied for second-best in the NAIA thus far. She was named Mid-South Conference Track Athlete of the Week
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Arriana Benjamin, Marian (Ind.)
Benjamin won both the shot put and weight throw at the IWU Midwest Classic, shattering her own record in each event. In the shot put Benjamin now holds the No. 1 mark in all of the NAIA after wiping the field at IWU with a 14.72m throw, and in the weight throw Benjamin held a 1.73m lead over the field with her 17.08m mark, now holding the No. 4 mark in the NAIA.