Nwanaga Cracks National Top-15 in Javelin, Earns #AETF Weekly Honor
BOSTON – Another busy weekend in track and field was headlined by several top performances by female field student-athletes. UAlbany grad student Tara Belinsky had success in the shot put and cracked the nation’s top-25 while UMBC sophomore Kelechi Nwanaga recorded the 15th-best javelin throw in Division I.
Here are the conference’s weekly awards:
Female Track Performer of the Week
Amanda Stead, Stony Brook – So., Sprints, Miller Place, N.Y.
- Placed second in the 400-meter dash at the UConn Northeast Invite.
- Her time of 54.01 matched a season best.
- This is her first #AETF award this calendar year.
Male Track Performer of the Week
Dan Schaffer, Binghamton – So., Distance, Endwell, N.Y.
- Ran the 5,000-meter race in 14:11.75 at the Bucknell Spring Invitational.
- Schaffer set a school record and is currently in line to compete in NCAA East Regionals.
- This is his first outdoor #AETF award of the season.
Female Field Performer of the Week
Kelechi Nwanaga, UMBC – So., Javelin, Nigeria
- Threw the javelin 169’6” at the George Mason Spring Invitational.
- Her mark ranks tops in the conference and 15th nationally.
- This is her first #AETF honor this season and second of her career.
Male Field Performer of the Week
Dennis Peary, UMass Lowell – Sr., Multis, Woburn, Mass.
- Won the decathlon at the SCSU Northeast Combined Events Challenge.
- His score of 6296 is the highest point total by an America East decathlete this season.
- Peary has been named Field Performer of the Week for the first time this year.
Weekly Award Winners
Mar. 20 – Female Track Performer: Sophia Myers, UAlbany; Male Track Performer: Sidney Gibbons, UAlbany; Female Field Performer: Venqiue Harris, UAlbany; Male Field Performer: Vladimir Popusoi, UMass Lowell
Mar. 27 – Female Track: Chidinma Matthew, UAlbany; Male Track: Spencer Payton, Stony Brook; Female Field: Anika Hibbard, UAlbany; Male Field: Devon Willis, UAlbany
April 3 – Female Track: Hannah Reinhardt, UAlbany; Male Track: Luke Coulter, Stony Brook; Female Field: Venique Harris, UAlbany; Male Field: Alexios Prodanas, UMBC
April 10 – Female Track: Aziza Chigatayeva, Binghamton; Male Track: Paul Hogan, UMass Lowell; Female Field: Alyssa Colbert, New Hampshire; Male Track: Terrel Davis, Hartford
April 17 – Female Track: Amanda Stead, Stony Brook; Male Track: Dan Schaffer, Binghamton; Female Field: Kelechi Nwanaga, UMBC; Male Field: Dennis Peary, UMass Lowell
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