By: Jeff Evans, Director of Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University Track & Field program had three student-athletes earn Great Northwest Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors for their notable performances at the UW Invitational over the weekend in Seattle.
GNAC Track & Field Athletes of the Week for January 22-28:
McDermott highlighted the three weekly award winners with his second award of the young indoor season. The junior smashed Western's 5000m school record on Friday running 13:50.77 for the No. 3 time in GNAC history and backed that up with another program record time in the mile running 4:02.13 to rank 4th in GNAC history. Earlier this season McDermott ran the No. 2 time in WWU history and the 8th-best time in GNAC history in the 3000m. All this comes after winning the GNAC Cross Country individual title last October at the GNAC Championships.
Greenwalt also continued his strong start to the indoor season leaping a conference-leading mark in the long jump with a leap of 6.97m/22-10.5 while placing 6th at the UW Invitational. Greenwalt also set a PR in the 200m running 22.26 to tie for the 7th-best performance in program history.
Potts placed 11th and was the top DII finisher in the weight throw Friday at the UW Invitational, recording a conference-leading mark of 15.52m/50-11. In addition to the top weight throw of the season in the GNAC, Potts also broke her own school record and established an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the shot put at 13.82m/45-4.25 in the season-opening UW Preview.
In its second indoor meet of the season WWU established three school records and 16 program top-10 marks at the two-day UW Invitational at Dempsey Indoor. The Vikings are scheduled to be back in action February 9-10 at the Husky Classic in Seattle. The GNAC Championships will be held February 19-20 at The Podium in Spokane.
