Grand Valley State is back at No. 1 for the second time this season. The annual GVSU Big Meet was, in fact, a big meet for the Lakers, as they continued to add to their haul of nationally ranked marks. Grand Valley State earned five marks that sit within the top-5 nationally:
Dennis Mbuta in the 800 (No. 2, 1:49.03);
Eli Kosiba in the high jump (No. 2, 2.14m/7-¼);
Jonathon Groendyk in the 800 (No. 4, 1:50.40);
Tanner Chada in the 5000 (No. 4, 13:52.62). Groendyk and Mbuta were also contributing legs of the Lakers’ national leading DMR that set a NCAA DII all-conditions best of 9:39.28.
The second-ranked Eagles traveled to Allendale, Michigan for the Big Meet and earned a pair of ranked relays in the process. Ashland clocked 3:12.18 in the 4×400 and ran 9:45.23 in the DMR, both good for No. 2 on the Descending Order List. Out of the 11 top-10 nationally ranked marks Ashland has, nine sit within the top-5 of their respective events.
NCAA Division II Women – Berenice Cleyet-Merle, UIndy
NCAA Division III Men – Noah Zastrow, UW-Stout
NCAA Division III Women – Ana Tucker, Hope
NJCAA Men – Dakari Carter, Butler CC
NJCAA Women – Rosalie Fish, Iowa Central CC
Find out more about each of these runners 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 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.