USD’s O’Connell, NDSU’s Stratioti Capture Weekly Outdoor Track and Field Awards

4/8/2014 12:00:00 AM

ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota's Jeff O'Connell and North Dakota State's Paige Stratioti were named The Summit League's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for their performances April 1-7.

MEN'S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Jeff O'Connell, South Dakota
Jr. // Philip, S.D.
O'Connell earns his first career Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week honor after a trio of top-three finishes, including two event wins, at the USD Snowbird meet. The junior won the 200 meters (21.59) and long jump (24'0.25"/7.32m) with league-bests in both events and tied the 48^th-best mark in the NCAA in the long jump. He also took second in the 100 meters with a time of 10.98, fourth in the league.

Also nominated: J.D. Smith, IUPUI; Alec Espeland, North Dakota State; Drew Kraft, South Dakota State.

Previous honorees: 3/25 – Trevor Berner, North Dakota State; 4/1 – Jeff Mettler, South Dakota.

WOMEN'S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Paige Stratioti, North Dakota State
Jr. // Duluth, Minn.
Stratioti collects her first career Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week award after posting an NCAA top-10 time at the Stanford Invitational. The Duluth, Minn., native finished runner-up in the 800 meters with a time of 2:05.94, a league-best and seventh in the nation. She became the fourth female in NDSU program history to run under 2:06 in the event and finished behind only professional and 2011 World Championships finalist Maggie Vessey. Stratioti was also a member of the Bison's third-place 4x400 relay team that clocked a school-record time of 3:36.29, ranking 20^th in the NCAA.

Also nominated: Brittany Beard, Fort Wayne; Lexi Hunt, IUPUI; Sami Spenner, Omaha; Katie Wetzstein, South Dakota; Amy Paulzine, South Dakota State.

Previous honorees: 3/25 – Antoinette Goodman, North Dakota State; 4/1 – Mary Wirth, South Dakota State.

ABOUT THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
In its fourth decade of Division I athletics, The Summit League offers 19 championship sports and has a combined enrollment of over 120,000 at eight institutions, including three located in top 60 U.S. metro populations and two land-grant universities. Member institutions include: Denver (University of Denver), Fort Wayne (Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne), IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis), North Dakota State University, Omaha (University of Nebraska Omaha), the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and Western Illinois University. Previously known as the Mid-Continent Conference, The Summit League rebranded in 2007 and has since produced eight NCAA Champions, 62 All-Americans and 50 Academic All-America selections.

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