Pac-12 Track & Field Weekly Awards - May 3, 2022

Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: Charles Hicks, Jr., Stanford (Jacksonville, Fla.)

• Ran 27:40.16 in the 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford -- the 20th fastest time in collegiate history.
• Placed third in the race and second among collegians, with the top five in the race running the year's fastest collegiate times.
• Ran a lifetime best and strengthened his hold on No. 2 on Stanford's all-time list and No. 6 in the Pac-12.

ALSO NOMINATED: Liam Anderson, UCLA; Jonathan Birchman, WASH; Johnnie Blockburger, USC; Colton Johnsen, WSU; Jamar Marshall Jr, ASU; Hakim McMorris, CAL; Trayvion White-Austin, ARIZ; Micah Williams, ORE.

Women’s Track Athlete of the Week: Julia Heymach, Gr., Stanford (Houston, Texas)

• Ran the year's fastest collegiate 1,500m at the Payton Jordan Invitational (4:11.00).
• Placed third overall and first among collegians.
• Was sixth in the Olympic Trials last year in the same event.

ALSO NOMINATED: Ezinne Abba, CAL; Madie Boreman, COLO; Micaela De Mello, WSU; Jan'Taijah Ford, USC; Haley Herberg, WASH; Shannon Meisberger, ARIZ; Kemba Nelson, ORE; Emma Tavella, UCLA; 4x400m Relay, UTAH.

Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: Mykolas Alekna, Fr., California (Vilnius, Lithuania)

• Broke the collegiate record in the men's discus on his first throw at The Big Meet with a mark of 222-0 (67.68m).
• The farthest throw by a teenager in world history.
• Also broke his own U23 Lithuanian record, NCAA freshman record and school record.
• The only man in NCAA history to possess more than two top-10 discus throws (now owns six).

ALSO NOMINATED: Aidan Elbettar, UCLA; Jacob Englar, WSU; Tanner Kippes, ARIZ; Trey Knight, USC; Max Manson, STAN; Elijah Mason, WASH.

Women’s Field Athlete of the Week: Jorinde van Klinken, Gr., Arizona State (Assen, The Netherlands)

• Threw 60-6.5 (18.45m) in the shot put and 212-5 (64.75m) in the discus at the Desert Heat Classic, winning the discus competition by 29 feet. 
• Now leads the nation in the discus by just under 14 feet and is second in the country in the shot put. 

ALSO NOMINATED: Jenica Bosko, ARIZ; Amber Jackson, UCLA; MaKayla Kelby, WASH; Virginia Miller, STAN; Temi Ojora, USC; Aislinn Overby, WSU; Camryn Rogers, CAL.

Pac-12 in the USTFCCCA National Rating Index (May 2)

Men’s Top 25: #7 Oregon, #9 USC, #10 Stanford, #18 Washington, #21 Arizona State, #24 California
Women’s Top 25: #9 Oregon, #14 Washington, #15 Arizona State, #16 Stanford, #21 USC, #24 California, #25 Colorado

Pac-12 USTFCCCA National Athletes of the Week

Mykolas Alekna, California - May 3
Mykolas Alekna, California - March 22

Pac-12 on The Bowerman Watch List

Men's Mid-Outdoor: Emmanuel Ihemeje, ORE; Turner Washington, ASU; Micah Williams, ORE.
Women's Mid-Outdoor: Camryn Rogers, CAL; Jorinde van Klinken, ASU.

Pac-12 in the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame

A national-best eight standouts from Pac-12 track & field programs are part of the inaugural, 30-member class of the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame.

The induction presentation for Jackie Johnson (Arizona State), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (UCLA), Gerry Lindgren (Washington State), Mel Patton (USC), Steve Prefontaine (Oregon), Meg Ritchie (Arizona), Henry Rono (Washington State) and Jenny Simpson (Colorado) will take place at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Ore., at 7:30 p.m. PT on Monday, June 6. 

The inaugural group of 30 inductees were chosen solely on their accomplishments while a collegiate athlete and eligibility was limited to men who had completed their collegiate eligibility prior to 2000 and women prior to 2010. The Pac-12's eight members in this first Hall of Fame class are three more than any other conference (Big Ten - 5).

Pac-12 Track & Field Athletes of the Week