Ashland's Pringle Earns USTFCCCA Division II National Weekly Honor

Ashland's Pringle Earns USTFCCCA Division II National Weekly Honor

Courtesy of Ashland Sports Information

NEW ORLEANS -- On Saturday, Ashland University sophomore Myles Pringle set two school records, automatically qualified for 2017 NCAA Division II indoor nationals in two events, provisionally qualified for nationals in another and posted the second-best indoor men's 400-meter dash time in D-II history.

On Monday (Dec. 12), Pringle earned Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's track Athlete of the Week honors. On Tuesday (Dec. 13) morning, he continued his whirlwind last few days, earning Division II men's National Athlete of the Week honors from the U.S. Track & Field And Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Pringle turned in the second-best D-II indoor time in history in the 400-meter dash at 46.11 seconds, while also winning the high jump in 2.17 meters/7-feet-1.5 – both marks being new Ashland indoor school records. Pringle automatically qualified for 2017 D-II indoor nationals in both events, while also being part of the provisional-qualifying 4x400 relay team which finished in 3:14.32.

Pringle's 400 time technically puts him No. 3 on the all-time D-II indoor list, as two athletes share the top spot – NYIT's Howard Burnett originally set the record at 46.05 seconds in 1990, and Saint Augustine's Josh Scott tied it 20 years later. He has the nation's top 400 and high jump marks in the early part of the 2016-17 season, and his 400 time would be leading NCAA Division I this season by 1.25 seconds.

Pringle is the first Eagle to earn USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honors since thrower Zac Ball did so indoors on Jan. 13, 2015.