Estala, Parker, Lesser Named #SummitOTF Athletes of the Week
Estala, Parker, Lesser Named #SummitOTF Athletes of the Week
ELMHURST, Ill. – Oral Roberts’ Justin Estala and North Dakota State’s Tyler Parker and North Dakota State’s Emily Lesser were named The Summit League's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for their performances March 16-22, marking the initial awards of the 2015 season.
MEN'S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Justin Estala, Oral Roberts
So. // Paris, Ark.
Estala collects his first career Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week award after posting a first-place height of 17-01 (5.21m) in the pole vault at the Tulsa Duels over the weekend. The mark matched his NCAA-qualifying mark from a year ago and helped him win the event by nearly five feet over second place. Estala’s height is currently ninth nationally and would have been first in The Summit League in 2014.
Tyler Parker, North Dakota State
Jr. // Hazen, N.D.
Parker earns the first Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week honor after a school-record throw in the javelin at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. Parker’s throw of 235-00 (71.62m) broke a six-year old NDSU record by more than six feet and currently ranks seventh nationally. The junior’s toss was more than 25 feet further than the top throw in The Summit League a season ago.
Also nominated: Damon Pruett, IUPUI; Cody Snyder, South Dakota.
WOMEN'S ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Emily Lesser, North Dakota State
Sr. // Maple Grove, Minn.
Lesser collects her first career Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week award after capturing the shot put title at the Baldy Castillo Invitational hosted by Arizona State University. In the process of winning the event, Lesser broke a 15-year school record with a throw of 51-09.75 (15.79m). The mark is currently fifth in the nation and is 15 inches further than the best toss in The Summit League last season.
Also nominated: Madison Reynolds, Oral Roberts; Jordan Hanaway, IUPUI; Megan Glisar, South Dakota.
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 nine institutions, including four 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), Oral Roberts University, 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 along with over 65 All-Americans, 60 Academic All-America selections and numerous former student-athletes competing at the highest professional level. For more information about the league and to "See The Summit", visit www.thesummitleague.org, follow on Twitter @thesummitleague, download The Summit League’s Front Row app, and watch the weekly “Inside The Summit League” show at www.thesummitleague.org/itsl.
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