USTFCCCA Awards
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA March 1, 2022   

NCAA & NJCAA ITF National Athletes of the Week (March 1)

NEW ORLEANS – Another incredible weekend is in the books!

Here are the National Athletes of the Week in NCAA and NJCAA Indoor Track & Field for March 1!

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 – Trey Cunningham, Florida State

Senior | Hurdles
Winfield, Alabama

Trey Cunningham is now in the same sentence as Grant Holloway.

That’s not bad company for the now five-time ACC champion in the 60-meter hurdles.

Not only did Cunningham make conference history this past weekend at the ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships, he became the second-fastest performer in collegiate history with his 7.40 effort in the prelims on Friday afternoon. That shot Cunningham ahead of Daniel Roberts into the passenger seat right next to the record-holding Holloway at 7.35 (Holloway, winner of The Bowerman in 2019, is also the world record-holder in the event, in case you forgot).

Then in the final, Cunningham moved ahead of Holloway – in one regard. Cunningham went 7.42 to match his previous PR and notch the most career clockings of 7.42 or better: Holloway had two during his illustrious career at Florida; Cunningham now has three in the past month.

This is the first time since at least 2015 that any athlete from Florida State has been named National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Abby Steiner, Kentucky

Junior | Sprints
Dublin, Ohio

Fastest in collegiate history? Been there.

Second-fastest in world history? Done that.

Taking down another one of Merlene Ottey’s legendary records? We’ll see.

Abby Steiner continued her dream season this past weekend at the SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships, where she covered 200 meters in 22.09 to demolish her own collegiate record and, in turn, become the second-fastest performer in world history behind Merlene Ottey at 21.83. That mark also put Steiner fourth on the all-time, all-conditions collegiate chart, which counts those in-season efforts both indoors and outdoors (Steiner is now faster in-season than everybody in collegiate history not named Kyra Jefferson, Dawn Sowell and Deajah Stevens).

Steiner already took down one of Ottey’s legendary records back in December – the collegiate version of the 300 meters. Now, Steiner is just 0.27 seconds from breaking a record that stood since 1993, six years before Steiner was born. If you don’t think Steiner can do it, think about this: Steiner just PR’d by 0.28 seconds two weeks apart. What’s in two more weeks? NCAAs.

Don’t forget that Steiner also toted the baton on the Kentucky 4×400 relay that placed third and dipped under the old collegiate record with their 3:25.89. Steiner split 51.87 on the second leg.

This is the third time this season that Steiner has been named National Athlete of the Week. Steiner previously earned the honor after her two previous collegiate record-setting efforts.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Christian Noble, Lee (Tenn.)

Senior | Distance
Mount Vernon, Indiana

90 minutes.

That’s all it took for two NCAA DII records to fall.

Christian Noble had a record-breaking day on Sunday at the Boston Last Chance Meet. His first record of the day came in the mile as he clocked 3:56.12 to break the 36-year-old record of 3:56.74 set by Kip Cheruiyot of Mount Saint Mary’s in 1986. Noble returned to the track about an hour and a half later to win the 3000 in 7:50.98, topping his own DII record of 7:51.46 set last year. He now sits at the top of the DII record book in the mile and 3000, and is ranked No. 3 in the 5000.

Noble headlined a weekend where a number of NCAA DII male athletes stood out, namely Trevor Bassitt of Ashland and Benjamin Azamati of West Texas A&M. Bassitt became the first collegian to win the 400 at the USATF Indoor Championships since Michael Johnson in 1990 with his 45.75 winner. That is the second-fastest mark in DII history behind his own record of 45.27. Azamati also made history of his own, clocking 20.57 in the 200 at the Lone Star Conference Championships to become the No. 2 performer all-time in DII history. He also ran 6.55 for the second time this season, which is 0.01 shy of his DII record of 6.54.

This is the second time this season that Noble has been National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Noble previously earned the honor on January 25 after his first sub-4 mile effort.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Berenice Cleyet-Merle, UIndy

Senior | Mid-Distance
Saint-Sulpice-Des-Rivoires, France

Five events, four golds and three meet records in a span of two days.

Berenice Cleyet-Merle earned her rest.

Cleyet-Merle was all over the track at the GLVC Championships and led the Greyhounds to a runner-up finish in the team standings. It started Saturday night with the distance medley relay, as she anchored the Greyhounds to gold in a meet record time of 11:48.25. Cleyet-Merle came back on Sunday to win the mile in 4:53.92, the 800 in 2:12.57 and the 3000 in 9:53.46, while setting meet records in the mile and 800. She concluded her weekend anchoring the 4×400 relay to a fourth-place finish.

This is the third time this season Cleyet-Merle has been named National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. She earned the honor after becoming the No. 2 performer all-time in the 800 and then again after her NCAA DII mile record.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Sam Blaskowki, UW-La Crosse

Freshman | Sprints
Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Sam Blaskowski had a weekend to remember.

Competing at the WIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, Blaskowski captured two individual titles and soared to a pair of national-leading marks, one of which doubles as an all-time effort. Blaskowski got off on the right foot on Friday, posting the fastest mark in the 60-meter prelims of 6.70, which made him the fourth-fastest performer in NCAA Division III history. Later, Blaskowski flew an NCAA DIII-leading 7.48m (24-6½) to win the long jump.

Then, on Saturday, Blaskowski finished runner-up in the 60 at 6.74 – which is another all-time top-10 effort – and won the 200 with a mark of 21.89, a shade off his seasonal best of 21.84 that has him ranked sixth nationally. All told, Blaskowski totaled 28 points as UW-La Crosse finished runner-up in the team standings to rival UW-Oshkosh.

This is the first time since 2020 that a male athlete from UW-La Crosse has been named National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season (Andrew Jarrett on January 28, 2020).

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Isabel Maletich, UChicago

Junior | Jumps & Sprints
Woodridge, Illinois

Monique Hacker sat atop the NCAA Division III record book in the triple jump since 1998.

Now Hacker has company in the guise of Isabel Maletich.

Competing at the UAA Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend, Maletich bounded 12.71m (41-8½) on her fourth attempt to equal Hacker’s all-time best. That wasn’t the only monster jump of Maletich’s series, as she went farther than 12.20m (40-0½) on all six attempts.

Maletich wasn’t done with just the triple jump, either. She completed a sweep of the horizontal jumps with a 5.96m (19-6¾) effort in the long jump and placed fifth in the 60 meters in 7.86 after a PR of 7.83 in the prelims. All told, Maletich scored 24 points to lead the Maroons to a runner-up team finish.

This is the second time this season that Maletich has been named National Athlete of the Week. Maletich previously earned the honor on January 18.