SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Western Illinois student-athletes achieve outstanding performances at the Drake Relays that earned them this week’s TicketSmarter Summit League Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors, league officials announced Tuesday. Western Illinois’ Ackeen Colley and North Dakota State’s Trevor Otterdahl took home the awards for the men while South Dakota State’s Leah Hansen and NDSU’s Amy Phillips were awarded the honors for the women. 

At the Drake Relays, Colley took first place in the university division of the 800-meter with a time of 1:48.57. His winning time also beat 2021 Olympic qualifier Isaiah Jewett, who won the 800m in the professional division, by .27 seconds. Colley is the first Leatherneck to win an event at the Drake Relays since 2006 and the first WIU male student to win since 1986.
 
Colley capped off his historic weekend running the 1,600m portion of the DMR relay. The team finished in a time of 10:03.97, the seventh-fastest time in program history.
 
Otterdahl finished in the top ten in two of his three events at the Drake Relays. Highlighting his efforts was a fourth-place finish in the hammer throw with a launch of 216-9 (66.08m). Otterdahl also finished 10^th in the shot put (59-04.25; 18.09m) and 14^th overall in the discus (161-1; 49.09m).
 
Hansen defended her Drake Relays title in the 10,000m after clocking a time of 34:49.31 to win the event. She became the first athlete since 1995-1996 to win consecutive titles and just the third to repeat in the women’s 10,000m.
 
Phillips won the hammer throw at two different meets on back-to-back days. First, she threw 205-0 (62.48m) to win the hammer throw at the Kip Janvrin Open. She then won the Drake Relays hammer throw title, moving from fifth place to first on her final attempt with a launch of 216-7 (66.01m).
 
Ackeen Colley, Western Illinois
Sr | Distance | Lucea, Jamaica

• Collected his second career outdoor athlete of the week honor
• Won the university division of the 800m at the Drake Relays in a time of 1:48.57
• Winning time beat 2021 Olympic qualifier Isaiah Jewett who won the 800m in the professional division

 
Also nominated: Luke Labatte, North Dakota; Demar Francis, South Dakota; Jacob Rodin, North Dakota State
 
Trevor Otterdahl, North Dakota State
Sr | Throws | Rosemount, Minn.

• Notched his third-consecutive athlete of the week accolades and fourth this season
• Finished in the top 15 in all three of the events he competed in at the Drake Relays

 
Also nominated: Jacob Jenkins, South Dakota



Leah Hansen, South Dakota State
Fr | Distance | Willmar, Minn.

• Claimed her first career outdoor athlete of the week award
• Defended her Drake Relays 10,000m title clocking a time of 34:49.31 to win the event
• Became just the third to repeat in the women’s 10,000m

 
Also nominated: Jadyn Keeler, North Dakota; Sara Reifenrath, South Dakota; Kelby Anderson, North Dakota State
 
Amy Phillips, North Dakota State
Sr | Throws | Henley-on-Thames, England

• Earned the second outdoor athlete of the week honor of her career and second this season
• Won the hammer throw at two different meets
• Went from fifth to first on her final attempt at the Drake Relays with a mark of 216-7 (66.01m)

 
Also nominated: Natalie Mohring, North Dakota; Marleen Mulla, South Dakota
 
2022 Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week
March 22
MT: Gary Afram, St. Thomas
MF: Parker Feuerborn, St. Thomas
WT: Molly Reighard, St. Thomas
WF: Elise Ulseth, North Dakota
 
March 29
MT: Riley Bauer, South Dakota State
MF: Trevor Otterdahl, North Dakota State
WT: Jacy Pulse, South Dakota
WF: Amy Phillips, North Dakota State
 
April 5
MT: Cody Roder, North Dakota State
MF: Jessie Sullivan, South Dakota
WT: Gabrielle Gibson, Oral Roberts
WF: Marleen Mülla, South Dakota
 
April 12
MT: Reid Pierzinski, South Dakota State
MF: Eerik Haamer, South Dakota
WT: Moe Bridgen, South Dakota
WF: Amanda Anderson, North Dakota State
 
April 19
MT: Merga Gemeda, South Dakota
MF: Trevor Otterdahl, North Dakota State
WT: Kelby Anderson, North Dakota State
WF:  Elise Ulseth, North Dakota
 
April 26
MT: Brithton Senior, South Dakota
MF: Trevor Otterdahl, North Dakota State
WT: Gabrielle Gibson, Oral Roberts
WF: Marleen Mülla, South Dakota
 
May 3
MT: Ackeen Colley, Western Illinois
MF: Trevor Otterdahl, North Dakota State
WT: Leah Hansen, South Dakota State
WF: Amy Phillips, North Dakota State