DALLAS?– With the Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships just one weekend away, C-USA has recognized Rice, UTEP and Southern Miss student-athletes in this week’s awards.Rice swept the women’s awards as
Grace Forbes posted the nation’s third-fastest 10k time and
Erna Gunnarsdottir won her third shot put competition of the year. On the men’s side UTEP’s
Jevaughn Powell clocked the eighth-fastest 400m time in the country and Southern Miss’
Fred Moudani claimed his fourth shot put title of the year. All C-USA weekly awards are presented by Surf & Turf Golf.
C-USA Female Track Athlete of the Week – Grace Forbes, Rice, So., Wallingford, Pa.
Forbes returned to her home state in style by winning the 10,000m at the prestigious Penn Relays, finishing in a time of 32:59.15 to defeat the next closest competitor by nearly 24 seconds. Forbes' time currently ranks third in the NCAA this season. The All-American, running her first 10K of the season, pulled away late in the race and ran her final 5000m in 15:54.7, besting everyone in the 20-runner field.
C-USA Female Field Athlete of the Week – Erna Gunnarsdottir, Rice, Jr., Mosfellsbaer, Iceland
Gunnarsdottir won her third shot put competition of the season with a winning toss of 17.14m (56-3.00) at the Texas A&M Alumni Muster. Gunnarsdottir, who holds the top mark in C-USA this season of 17.29m, set a meet record on Saturday on her fourth attempt and now has achieved 17.00m or better eight times this season.This is her first honor of the season and her throw would have been the 18
th best mark on the season nationally. She currently holds the 15
th best throw in the country at 56-8.75 (17.29m),
C-USA Male Track Athlete of the Week – Jevaughn Powell, UTEP, So., Clarendon, Jamaica
Powell clocked a personal-best and C-USA-leading time of 45.29 in the men's 400-meter dash at the Desert Heat Classic on April 30 to win his third-straight 400m competition this season. His time ranks eighth nationally and is also the seventh-best mark on UTEP’s all-time list. This is the second weekly award for Powell as he also was recognized on April 12.
C-USA Male Field Athlete of the Week – Fred Moudani, Southern Miss, So. Savigne-Le-Temple, France
Moudani earned his second C-USA weekly honor as he took home his fourth shot put title of the season this past weekend at the Maroon and White Invite with a throw of 61-4.25 (18.70m). He is already ranked 14
th nationally in the event with his throw of 64-1.75, and has thrown over 60 feet three times this season. He leads C-USA in the shot put by over a foot with the next mark coming in at 59-0.75.
2022 C-USA Female Track Athletes of the Week
M22 Mikah Alleyne, Marshall
M29 Eusila Chepkemei, Middle Tennessee
A5 Ta-Halia Fairman, Charlotte
A12 Alanah Yukich, UTSA
A19 Maya Singletary, Charlotte
A26 Eusila Chepkemei, Middle Tennessee
May 3 Grace Forbes, Rice
2022 C-USA Female Field Athletes of the Week
M22 Abigail Kwarteng, Middle Tennessee
M29 Rhema Otabor, FIU
A5 Tara Simpson-Sullivan, Rice
A12 Abigail Kwarteng, Middle Tennessee
A19 Abigail Kwarteng, Middle Tennessee
A26 Rhema Otabor, FIU
May 3 Erna Gunnarsdottir, Rice
2022 C-USA Male Track Athletes of the Week
M22 Trevion McCalla, UTSA
M29 Nick Scudder, Charlotte
A5 No nominations
A12 Javaughn Powell, UTEP
A19 Alaba Akintola, Middle Tennessee
A26 Alaba Akintola, Middle Tennessee
May 3 Jevaughn Powell, UTEP
2022 C-USA Male Field Athletes of the Week
M22 Grant Szalek, UTSA
M29 Jemuel Miller, UTSA
A5 Alex Slinkman, Rice
A12 Alex Slinkman, Rice
A19 Fred Moudani, Southern Miss
A26 Queshun Watson-Riggins, FIU
May 3 Fred Moudani, Southern Miss