STEPHENVILLE — Three Tarleton State Track and Field athletes garnered WAC Athlete of the Week honors in the final week of the regular season, the conference office announced on Monday.
The Texans were atop of the conference once again adding three athlete of the week titles to their growing total of 10 this indoor season. Lokesh Sathyanathan adds his third weekly award of the season and Prestina Ochonogor claims her second. David Mvundura earned the honor for the first time this season.
Prestina Ochonogor was on fire at the Tyson Invitational this past weekend. She recorded her best indoor jump as a Texan leaping 6.69 meters. With the leap she broke the all-time WAC record that she set as a freshman last season at the WAC Championships and her school record (6.64 meters). She also won the individual title of the event, her second individual crown of the season. Her 6.69-meter leap has her ranked second in the NCAA this year, primed for a bid to the NCAA Indoor Championships. Not only does she own one of the best jumps in the NCAA this year, but her 6.69-meter leap is the 11th best indoor woman’s long jump in the world this year.
Lokesh Sathyanathan took home his third WAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honor. He also jumped an indoor personal best recording a 7.99-meter leap and topping it with an 8.01-meter jump. He became the first Texan to reach the 8-meter threshold indoors breaking his own school record of 7.92 meters. He also broke the Indian national record, becoming the first to break the 8-meter barrier indoors. His leap tops the WAC and is ranked the seventh best in the NCAA as well as the 20th best mark in the world this year.
David Mvundura was named the WAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for the first time this season. The sprinter notched the second fastest races in the 60 and 200 in program history over the weekend at the Jarvis Scott Invite. He started by earning a spot in the semifinals and setting a new PR in 6.69 seconds, the second fastest time in program history. On the second day, he clocked in at 21.15 seconds in the 200 to set another PR and own the second-fastest time in program history.
The Texans ended a successful regular season last week at a pair of meets hosted by Arkansas and Texas Tech. So far this season the Purple and White have posted 47 new program top 10 bests. That also includes seven new indoor school records. In addition, Lauren Roy set the Irish national record in the 200, Malak Rashwan broke her own 60-meter hurdles Egyptian record and Lokesh Sathyanathan became the first in India to record at least an eight-meter indoor leap.
Tarleton State will begin its post season at the WAC Championships in Spokane, Wash. on Feb. 27-28. The Texans will be vying for its first team title since joining the WAC. The athletes will also be in search of posting top 16 times in their individual events to earn a bid to the NCAA Indoor National Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. on March 13-14.
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