SIU T&F: Murray named MVC Field Athlete of the Week
Senior triple jumper Luke James and freshman pole vaulter Lindsey Murray have been named the Missouri Valley Conference Field Athletes of the Week, the Valley announced Tuesday.
This most recent field athlete sweep is the third consecutive and 10th of both the indoor and outdoor season -- in which Southern has claimed an incredible 21 of the possible 24 weekly field athlete awards from the Valley thus far. This is the third honor for both James and Murray this season, and the second time they have been selected as the top athletes in the same week.
It was old habit for freshman Lindsey Murray in the women's pole vault at the A-State Red Wolves Open last weekend, where she once again broke her own outdoor school record en route to a second-place finish. Murray broke her old mark (4.12m/13-06.25) by nearly four inches on Saturday, clearing 4.22m (13-10.00) to reset SIU's outdoor record for the third time in five meets. Murray now ranks 17th in all of the NCAA and 10th in the NCAA West Region. Murray also owns SIU's indoor record at 4.30m (14-01.25) - which sent her to the NCAA Indoor Championships, where she finished ninth overall as a Second-Team All-American.
For the third straight week, senior Luke James improved in his signature triple jump en route to an event win at the A-State Red Wolves Open last weekend. James hit an outdoor PR 15.71m (51-06.50) for the win, which now ties him for eighth all-time in Saluki history. He also now ranks as the No. 1 triple jumper in the Valley, No. 9 in the NCAA West Region and No. 21 in the NCAA overall.
Saluki track and field will participate in a quad meet in Terre Haute, Ind., this weekend - the Indiana State 4-Way - against Indiana State, DePaul and IUPUI on May 1-2. Southern then has one week off before the MVC Outdoor Championships in Normal, Ill., on May 15-17.
MVC Field Athletes of the Week (21 of 24)
Indoor (13 of 14):
Dec. 16: Kyle Landon and Sophia Lozano
Jan. 21: Luke James and Ashley Gaston
Jan. 27: Luke James and Lindsey Murray
Feb. 3: Kyle Landon and Lindsey Murray
Feb. 10: Curtis Wideman and Raven Saunders
Feb. 17: Josh Freeman and Raven Saunders
Feb. 24: Curtis Wideman and Jamie Lindstrom (UNI)
Outdoor (8 of 10):
Apr. 1: Curtis Wideman and Raven Saunders
Apr. 7: James MacLachlan (Loyola) and Jianna Williams (Illinois State)
Apr. 14: Kyle Landon and DeAnna Price
Apr. 22: Curtis Wideman and Raven Saunders
Apr. 28: Luke James and Lindsey Murray