GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced its third weekly awards of the 2023-24 outdoor track & field season. Purdue Northwest sophomore Kalen Cummings (men's track), Wayne State redshirt senior Thailyia Christensen (women's track), Grand Valley State junior Matt Thomas (men's field) and Grand Valley State junior Erika Beistle (women's field) were honored.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Kalen Cummings, Purdue Northwest
Sophomore Kalen Cummings notched a stellar weekend for the Pride on the track. Cummings recorded a third place finish in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.86 and earning sixth place in the 200 meters with a time of 22.24 at the ONU Tiger Open. Both of these times were personal records for Kalen.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Thailyia Christensen, Wayne State
Wayne State University redshirt senior Thailyia Christensen (Flushing, Mich.) earned an NCAA Division 2 provisional time in the steeplechase last Friday at the Long Beach (Calif.) State Beach Invite. She bettered her PR by 2.31 seconds and finished with a time of 10:37.86. Her time currently ranks 14th in the nation according to TFRRS. The following day at the Azusa Pacific Bryan Clay Invitational, Christensen ran a 4:36.00 for 1500m in the Open B section. It was the second-fastest time in school history, just behind Brittany Johnson's school record of 4:30.53 set at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. This is her first GLIAC Runner of the Week award for Christensen, who won the steeplechase at the 2023 GLIAC Outdoor Championships and has twice been Second Team All-GLIAC in Cross Country (2022 and 2023).
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Matt Thomas, Grand Valley State
Matt Thomas earns his first GLIAC Field Athlete of the Week honors this season after competing within three meets in California last weekend. Thomas took on the men’s shot put and hammer throw all weekend long, earning 10th place in the men’s hammer throw at the Cal St. L.A. Open with a distance of 53.19m and 15th place at the Beach Invitational with a new personal-best throw of 62.41m. Additionally, Thomas finished in sixth place at the Beach Invitational in the men’s shot put with a distance of 18.01m and fourth place at the Pacific Coast Invitational with a throw of 18.14m. Thomas currently ranks fourth in the men’s shot put and 11th in the hammer throw in Division II.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - Erika Beistle, Grand Valley State
Erika Beistle earns her second GLIAC Field Athlete of the Week honors after competing at the Pacific Coast and Beach Invitational in California. Beistle earned fourth place in the discus throw at the Pacific Coast Invitational recording a new personal-best of 56.10m. At the Beach Invitational, Beistle finished in eighth place with a distance of 52.88m. Currently, Beistle ranks first in the women’s discus in Division II and 25th in All-Collegiate.
