GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced its first weekly awards of the 2020-21 outdoor track and field season. On the Women's side, Grand Valley St. runner Jessica Eby earned Rrack Athlete of the Week, while Grand Valley State's Elli Kimes & Kassidie Stimmel, both claimed Field Athlete of the Week. For the men, Grand Valley St. runner Jackson Blanchard was named Track Athlete of the Week, while Ashland thrower Alex Hill claimed Field athlete of the Week.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Jessica Eby, Grand Valley St.
2021 NCAA Division II Indoor DMR National Champion, Jessica Eby, collected a second-place finish in the 400H at South Florida with a clocked time of 1:00.85. Eby’s time ranks her as the fourth-best in the division. This is the first time that the Laker senior garnered a GLIAC Track Athlete of the Week mention.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Elli Kimes & Kassidie Stimmel Grand Valley St.
A week after earning the NCAA DII Indoor Pole Vault National Championship, Elli Kimes finished second at the Bulls Invitational with a clear of 4.02m. The Laker senior’s mark lands her at the second-highest clear for the division. This is the seventh GLIAC weekly honor Kimes has received in her career.
In the first meet of the outdoor season, junior Kassidie Stimmel cleared an outdoor-best height of 4.02m at the Bulls Invitational, good for third-place. Stimmel’s clear lands her at the second-highest mark in the division. This is the first time in her career that Stimmel has been named the GLIAC Field Athlete of the Week.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Jackson Blanchard, Grand Valley St.
Jackson Blanchard, coming off his two-time All-America performance at Indoor Nationals, recorded a personal best in the 400H with a second-place finish at the Bulls Invitational. Blanchard’s time of 52.07 seconds lands him as the second-best competitor in the division. This is the second time this season that Blanchard has earned GLIAC weekly accolades (2/17).
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Alex Hill, Ashland
As season-openers go, Ashland University senior Alex Hill had a pretty good one on Saturday (March 20) at the Miami (Ohio) Blizzard Buster. And because of his No. 2-in-the-country showings in both the men’s discus and hammer throw, Hill was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week on Wednesday (March 24) afternoon. On Saturday, Hill won both the discus and hammer – the discus at 54.54 meters/178-feet-11, and the hammer at 67.03 meters/219-feet-11. The hammer distance earned Hill automatic qualification for the 2021 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, May 27-29 at Grand Valley State, and the discus mark is a provisional qualification.
