Martin, Walkow Named Southland Track & Field Athletes of the Week
FRISCO, Texas - UT Arlington junior Romain Martin has been named the Southland Conference men's track and field athlete of the week, while Lamar junior Samantha Walkow was named the conference's women's track and field athlete of the week, the league office announced Wednesday.
Martin, a Nampa, Idaho (EGC H.S.), native, won the heptathlon at Boise State's Jacksons Invitational with a score of 5,796 points, nearly 900 points better than his nearest competitor. Martin won six of the heptathlon's seven events and set personal-best marks in the 60-meter hurdles (8.14 seconds), shot put (44-feet, 11 inches) and the 60-meter dash (7.15 seconds). His point total was 46 better than the NCAA automatic bid mark, solidifying his place in the 2012 NCAA Indoor Track & Championships.
Walkow, a Surrey, British Columbia (Semiahmoo Secondary), native, dominated the mile, clocking in at 4:57.27 to take the gold at the Birmingham Invitational. She followed that anchoring Lamar's winning effort in the distance medley with a final time of 12:17.18.
Honorable mention for this week's men's award goes to Lamar sophomore runner Sam Stabler, McNeese St. junior jumper Parminder Singh, Southeastern Louisiana graduate sprinter Shannon Grover and Stephen F. Austin sophomore runner Cass Brown. For the women's award, honorable mention went to McNeese sophomore athlete Mariah Georgetown, Stephen F. Austin junior jumper Kelli Hermes and UTSA junior thrower Katie Bragg.
A student-athlete must receive 25-percent of the votes from the league's SIDs in order to qualify for honorable mention. Each school's SID nominates and votes for the athletes of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his or her own player.