By Tyler Wooten
GoSycamores.com
ST. LOUIS – Freshman distance runner Brooke Moore, sophomore jumper Jamie Newsome and senior All-American hurdler Adarius Washington have been named Missouri Valley Track and Field Athletes of the Week, the Valley announced Tuesday afternoon.
Indiana State claimed three of the four available awards this week, including a sweep in the separate women's track and field awards to Moore and Newsome. ISU is coming off a very solid start at the unscored IU Hoosier Open on Dec. 11.
Sycamore track and field returns home after the holiday break on Fri., Jan. 15, with a home dual-meet vs. Illinois State.
Women's Track Athlete of the Week:
Brooke Moore, Fr., Distance, Elkhart, Ind. (Elkhart Memorial HS)
Freshman Brooke Moore had a stellar cross country campaign this past fall that culminated with All-MVC honors as the ninth-place finisher. She showed no signs of slowing down at the Hoosier Open this past weekend, during which she finished fifth in her first-career mile race at a blazing time of 4:57.07. Moore's mile time currently ranks No. 1 in the Missouri Valley and 20th in the NCAA this indoor season. Moore's current time would have been good for fourth at the MVC Indoor Championships in 2015.
Women's Field Athlete of the Week:
Jamie Newsome, So., Jumps, Lee's Summit, Mo. (Lee's Summit West HS)
Sophomore jumper Jamie Newsome wasted no time in getting her season off on the right foot, as she broke the Hoosier Open record in the triple jump on her first attempt of the year on Friday night. Newsome won the triple jump on a new meet record leap of 12.45m (40-10.25), which beat out Tennessee's Brielyn Rogers by more than three inches. Newsome's leap currently ranks No. 1 in the Missouri Valley by nearly two feet and No. 7 in the NCAA this indoor season. Newsome still has plenty left in the tank, though, as her overall career-best in the triple was her 2015 MVC Indoor winning leap of 12.61m (41-04.50) – which would currently rank No. 3 nationally.
Men's Track Athlete of the Week:
Adarius Washington, Sr., Sprints/Hurdles, Indianapolis, Ind. (Warren Central HS)
Returning All-American hurdler Adarius Washington proved he was still in top-shape for the upcoming season at ISU's season-opening meet at the Hoosier Open this past Friday. Washington, a senior native of Indianapolis, was the top-collegiate finisher in his signature 60 meter hurdles, finishing second at 7.88 seconds to former Sycamore All-American and Barbadian Olympian Greggmar Swift (7.64). Washington's time currently ranks No. 1 in the MVC and No. 3 in the NCAA early on in this indoor season, trailing only Kent State's William Barnes (7.83) and North Carolina A&T's Michael Dickson (7.87) nationally. And yet, Washington is far from topping-out, as his time on Friday still falls 0.11 seconds shy of his overall best (7.77, 2015 MVC Indoor Championships) and 0.10 seconds off his time at last season's NCAA Indoor Championships that earned him All-American honors in fifth place (7.78). Washington is the defending MVC champion in the 60 meter hurdles, an event he has never finished worse than second in at the conference meet.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track and Field team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
