USTFCCCA News & Notes
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA April 20, 2021   

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

NEW ORLEANS – National Athletes of the Week for April 20 were announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Here are those individuals who earned national honors from the USTFCCCA for their efforts during the continuing outdoor track & field season.

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 10 collegiate indoor 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 – Turner Washington, Arizona State

RS Junior | Throws
Tucson, Arizona

The collegiate all-time top-10 list in the discus is hard to crack.

There had only been two names on it since the turn of the last decade.

Well, Turner Washington made it three this past weekend.

Competing at the West Coast Classic in Eugene, Oregon, Washington launched the platter 66.26m (217-5) on his final attempt to become the seventh-best performer in collegiate history with the ninth-best performance. It was also the best throw by a collegian since 2016.

Washington is in a class of his own right now, leading the nation in both the discus and shot put. Speaking of the shot put, Washington also won that event with a 20.80m (68-3) heave.

This is the second time this season that Washington has been named National Athlete of the Week. He previously earned it on March 23 after initially taking over the national lead in the discus.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Athing Mu, Texas A&M

Freshman | Mid-Distance
Trenton, New Jersey

It was only a matter of time.

Well, 1 minute, 57.73 seconds, as we know now.

Athing Mu demolished the collegiate record in the Women’s 800 Meters this past weekend at the Michael Johnson Invitational hosted by Baylor. Mu went 1:57.73 – with a negative split – to take 1.37 seconds off the former all-time best of 1:59.10 established by 2017 The Bowerman winner Raevyn Rogers in her award-winning season. She also beat 2021 NCAA Indoor champion Aaliyah Miller of Baylor by three seconds.

If you count the indoor season, Mu has had her hand in four collegiate records during her freshman campaign: Indoor 600, Indoor 800, Indoor 4×400 Relay and now the Outdoor 800.

This is the first time that Mu has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Mu was a mainstay with the award during the indoor season, taking home honors on four different occasions – three times individually and another time as part of a relay.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – James Young, Academy of Art

Junior | Mid-Distance
Blyth, England

James Young is closing in on a record.

In his second race of the outdoor season since winning the indoor mile crown, the junior from Blyth, England, won the 1500 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in 3:37.72. That is the second-fastest time in NCAA Division II history, right behind David Ribich’s record of 3:37.35 set in 2018.

Young sits atop the Descending Order List by more than five seconds and is ranked No. 4 among all collegians this season.

This is the first time in program history – since at least 2015 – that a male athlete has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Jennifer Sandoval, Azusa Pacific

Senior | Distance
Fontana, California

Jennifer Sandoval is making the most of her senior campaign.

The graduate student hailing from Fontana, California became the fourth athlete all-time in NCAA Division II to break the 33 minute barrier for 10K. Sandoval clocked 32:58.39 in a gutsy race, finishing second overall and as the top collegian at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Sandoval’s time is also the fifth-best time in divisional history.

Not only does Sandoval have the fastest time in DII this season, she is also ranked No. 8 among all collegians.

This is the first time in program history an athlete has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Marcus Weaver, UW-Eau Claire

Freshman | Combined Events
Lewiston, Minnesota

Marcus Weaver really sank his teeth into his first decathlon.

Competing at the Ashton-Esten Invitational, Weaver totaled 7273 points to become the eighth-best performer in NCAA Division III history.

During the multi, Weaver launched the javelin 63.21m (207-4) to move up to No. 2 on the NCAA DIII seasonal chart in that event as well. He also established seven other PRs throughout the competition.

Weaver is only the second man in program history to be named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. He joins two-time honoree David Kornack from 2019.

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Megan Wallace, UW-Eau Claire

Junior | Combined Events
Burlington, Wisconsin

The NCAA DIII heptathlon record stood for 29 years.

Notice that we’re using the past tense, because Megan Wallace took care of one of the longest-standing records on the NCAA DIII all-time chart this past weekend.

Wallace went for 5471 points at the Ashton-Esten Invitational, topping the former all-time best held by Kim Oden of Nebraska Wesleyan since 1992 by just four points.

After opening the 100H at 14.46, Wallace started rolling. Wallace cleared 1.63m (5-4¼) in the high jump, threw the shot 13.39m (43-11¼) and closed Day 1 with a 25.77 effort in the 200. On Day 2, Wallace hit 5.77m (18-11¼) in the long jump to take over the NCAA DIII lead in that event, 39.55m (129-9) in the javelin and wrapped it all up with a 2:23.49 clocking in the 800 to cement her spot in NCAA DIII history.

This is the third year in a row that a female athlete from UW-Eau Claire has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Wallace joins former standout Erica Oawster, who took home national honors once in 2018 and then again in 2019.

NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – Matteo Capello, Vincennes (Ind.)

Sophomore | Pole Vault
Turino, Italy

Matteo Capello hasn’t seen an all-time chart he wouldn’t like to rearrange.

Capello notched another NJCAA all-time mark this past weekend at the Indiana Little State Championships, clearing 5.40m (17-8½) to become the No. 2 performer in divisional history. Earlier in the series, Capello went up and over 5.20m (17-0¾) on his first attempt for what is now the fifth-best bar.

This is the first time since 2015 that a male athlete from Vincennes (Ind.) has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season (Robert Murphy).

NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Ellis Collins, Mesa (Ariz.) CC

Sophomore | Distance
Queen Creek, Arizona

Ellis Collins found her stride.

Competing at the Mesa Invitational this past weekend, Collins clocked a time of 11:10.57 in the steeplechase and took over the NJCAA lead. It marked a 20-second PR for Collins, who had a previous lifetime best of 11:30.65 from last month at the Cody McBride Invitational.

Over the past three weeks, Collins has PR’d in the 800, 1500, 5000 and now the steeplechase.

This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Mesa (Ariz.) CC has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.

NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Darryl Jeffries, Howard CC

Freshman | Sprints
Columbia, Maryland

Darryl Jeffries put himself at the top of the NJCAA DIII leaderboard with room to spare.

Competing at the Hopkins/Loyola Track & Field Invitational this past weekend, Jeffries went 10.80 in the 100 and 21.98 in the 200 to take over the divisional lead in both events. Jeffries is on top of the 100 chart by 0.49 seconds and the 200 chart by 1.08 seconds.

He also helped out the NJCAA DIII-leading 4×100 relay squad.

This is the second week in a row that a male athlete from Howard CC has been named National Athlete of the Week.

NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Shaylinn Aver, College of DuPage

Freshman | Mid-Distance
Darien, Illinois

Shaylinn Aver double-dipped in NJCAA-leading marks.

Competing at the ONU Outdoor Open this past weekend, Aver went 5:20.40 in the 1500 to top that event chart by 2.36 seconds and then helped the College of DuPage 4×800 relay team earn a 24-second victory in 10:47.11 and take over that seasonal best list as well.

Aver is also ranked second nationally in the 800.

This is the third time this season that a female athlete from College of DuPage has been named National Athlete of the Week.