Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Olivia Bechtel, Miami
Senior, Bay Village, Ohio (Bay)
Olivia Bechtel had a great 2020-21 season debut in Oxford in the Blizzard Buster meet. The senior had top-marks in her two sprint events for the RedHawks, winning the 100-meter (11.88) and the 200-meter (24.54) events on Saturday.
Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Kaila Butler, Bowling Green
Sr.Port Coquitlam, B.C. / Terry Fox Secondary
Kaila Butler won the hammer throw at Miami's Blizzard Buster, throwing 210-feet-1 (64.04m) to open the outdoor season. That distance ranks first in the MAC by more than 30 feet and is No. 9 in the nation. A second team All-American a year ago, Butler has positioned herself for a run at All-American status again in 2021.
Men's Track Athlete of the Week
Charlie Harders, Miami
Junior, Western Springs, Ill. (Lyons Township)
Charlie Harders had a great debut for his outdoor season, and also won for Miami. The junior distance runner won the 1500-meter event in stacked field with a time of 3:47.00.
Men's Co-Field Athlete of the Week
Ryan Smith, Miami
Sophomore, Loveland, Ohio (Archbishop Moeller)
Sophomore Ryan Smith had a great showing on the field for Miami at the Blizzard Buster, being the top RedHawk finisher in all of his events. His hammer throw of 55.92m and his Discus throw of 48.56m are currently the top distances in the Mid-American Conference, and he has the second-best throw in the shot put in the conference.
Lukas Van Der Watt, Kent State
Redshirt, JuniorVredenburg, South Africa
Lukas Van Der Watt cleared 5.00m (16’-4.75”) to win pole vault in his Kent State outdoor debut at the Stan Romanoski Open on Saturday. Van Der Watt’s height is the top in the MAC this season and is tied for 24th nationally.
Other Nominees
Payne Wylie, Eastern Michigan University
Junior, Elstow, Saskatchewan/Colonsay School
At the USF Bulls Invitational, junior Payne Wylie (Elstow, Saskatchewan-Colonsay School) placed second in the second heat as he produced a 56.69 time in the 400m hurdles. For Wylie, this was his first time competing in the event since the MAC Outdoor Championships, May 9-11, 2019.
Aniya Davis, Western Michigan
Senior, Grand Rapids, Mich./Ottawa Hills
Davis kicked off the outdoor season in style with personal-bests in both the discus and the hammer throw. Davis on the discus with a distance of 164' 2" (50.03m) and then took second place in the hammer throw with a distance of 179' 3" (54.63m) in her first outdoor meet since 2019. Davis' distance in the discus currently is tops in the MAC and 29th in the NCAA. Her hammer mark is currently second in the conference.
Elise Walker, Miami
Senior, Camden, Ohio (Preble Shawnee)
Elise Walker was a crucial part of the Miami success at the Blizzard Buster meet in Oxford, placing second in the high jump event, with a distance of 1.63 meters.
Grace Tennant, Kent State
Redshirt JuniorCaistor Centre, Ontario/South Lincoln
Grace Tennant took second in the javelin throw with a mark of 45.16m (148’-2”) at the Stan Romanoski Open on Saturday. Tennant’s throw is the best in the MAC this season and ranks 45th in the country.
Shianne Johnson, University of Toledo
Freshman, Columbus, Ohio
Shianne Johnson had a strong performance in the 400m with a personal-best time of 1:00.46 at the Miami - Blizzard Buster on Saturday. She currently ranks fifth in the MAC for the outdoor season. She also ran in the 200m with a time of 25.79 ranking seventh in the MAC for the outdoor season.
Juliane Sormain, Western Michigan
Senior, Cachan, France/Institut Notre Dame
Senior Juliane Sormain ran the MAC's top time in the 800-meter run at the Blizzard Buster on Saturday. Sormain took second overall and was the top collegiate finisher in the race, running a time of 2:13.84. Her time also ranks her 51st in the nation after the weekend.
Kolby Ganther, Eastern Michigan University
Graduate Student, Park City, Kan./Northeast Magnet
Kolby Ganther (Park City, Kan.-Northeast Magnet (Garden City C.C.)) notched the top spot with a personal-best time of 11.83 (+0.3 m/s) at the USF Bulls Invitational. Ganther also ran the third leg of the 4x100, helping her team finish second, crossing the finish line in 45.67. The Green and White's 45.67 time almost cracked the top-10 in EMU's record book, with the No. 10 spot registering a 45.53.
Alexis Thigpen, BSU
Freshman, New Albany, OH
Alexis Thigpen took first place in the 400m run over the weekend at Miami's Blizzard Buster. She clocked 56.82, the second-best time in the MAC for the young outdoor season. She also ran in the 4x400m relay, where the Cardinals placed second.,
