NCAA DIII ITF National Athletes of the Week (March 8)
NEW ORLEANS – The final week of the regular season lived up to the hype!
Here are the National Athletes of the Week in NCAA Division III after an incredible weekend.
- NCAA Division III Men – Kyle Rollins, St. John Fisher
- NCAA Division III Women – Meghan Matheny, Ithaca
Find out more about each of these athletes by 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 III MEN – Kyle Rollins, St. John Fisher
Senior | Jumps
Groveland, New York
Kyle Rollins left no doubt as to his place in NCAA Division III history.
Competing at the AARTFC Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend, Rollins cleared 2.20m (7-2½) to win the high jump and move into a tie for third place on the all-time NCAA DIII chart with the best mark since 2018. He is one of four men who topped 2.20m (7-2½) in NCAA DIII history with the second-best performer sitting at 2.21m (7-3) from 1985.
Rollins had a strong field series with three first-attempt clearances from 2.02m (6-7½) to 2.08m (6-9¾) and got over 2.13m (6-11¾) on his second try. After two misses at 2.18m (7-1¾), Rollins opted to move to 2.20m (7-2½). Rollins cleared that on his first attempt, too.
This is the second time that Rollins has been named National Athlete of the Week during an indoor season. Rollins previously earned the honor on December 17, 2020.
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Meghan Matheny, Ithaca
Senior | Pole Vault
Ithaca, New York
Meghan Matheny raised the bar again.
Already the top seasonal performer in the pole vault, Matheny added 6cm to her previous best with a 4.00m (13-1½) clearance to win the event title at the AARTFC Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend. After needing two attempts to get over both 3.77m (12-4½) and 3.82m (12-6¼), Matheny topped 3.87m (12-8¼) on her first try and 4.00m on her second.
Matheny now has five of the top-6 bars on the seasonal chart and goes into the NCAA DIII Indoor Track & Field Championships this weekend on a wave of momentum.
This is the second time this season that a female athlete from Ithaca has been named National Athlete of the Week. Tia Jones previously earned the honor two weeks ago on February 22.