GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced its sixth weekly awards of the 2022 outdoor track and field season. Michigan Tech senior Clayton Sayen and Grand Valley State sophomore Natalie Graber received the track honors while the field accolades were garnered by Davenport graduate student Claude Ockert and Wayne State junior Mikayla Williams.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Clayton Sayen, Michigan Tech
Clayton Sayen's closing speed helped him top the Michigan Tech 1500 meter school record for the second time this spring Thursday night at the Drake Relays. Sayen (Houghton, Mich.) finished in second place amongst a field of 27 with a time of 3:44.33, bested only by Alec Basten of the University of Minnesota (3:43.64). He also upped the NCAA provisional mark he previously set at the Raleigh Relays with the fastest 1500 time of his Husky career, giving himself a good chance to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Sayen's top-five time was quicker than more than a dozen Division I athletes in the field and he picked up six positions over the final leg, a split nearly four seconds faster than his first 1100 meters. Prior to Sayen's races this spring, the previous Tech school record for the 1500 meters was 3:46.53, set by Jani Lane in 2014.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Natalie Graber, Grand Valley State
Natalie Graber (Loogootee, Ind.) ran a personal-time of 10:41.05 in the 3000m steeplechase at the Drake Relays on April 27 finishing 12th overall, second amongst DII athletes. Graber ended the regular season ranked 14th on the NCAA outdoor qualifying list.
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Claude Ockert, Davenport
Claude Ockert set the school record in the hammer throw (217' 3") at the Davenport Invitational and won the event. Ockert is currently third on the outdoor performance list in Division II.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Mikayla Williams, Wayne State
Wayne State University junior Mikayla Williams (St. Charles, Mich.) earned her first GLIAC Field Athlete of the Week honor for 2022 after placing third in the long jump at the Ashland Alumni Open with a career-best distance of 5.52m. She also finished fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 11.46m, which was a season-best in the event.