April 22, 2008
IRVING, Texas--Billy Nelson (Colorado) was named the Big 12 Men's Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week, while Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) was named Big 12 Women's Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week for meets of April 15-21. This is the second career outdoor track and field weekly award for Kipyego and the first for Nelson.
Big 12 Men's Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week
Billy Nelson, Colorado, Sr., Bakersfield, Calif./Taft Union
In Nelson's first steeplechase of the outdoor season, he recorded the second-fastest collegiate mark in the event at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays. The defending Big 12 steeplechase champion was the only collegiate harrier and finished seventh with a time of 8:41.99. The time is three-tenths of a second off the nation's leading mark.
Big 12 Women's Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week
Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech, Jr., Marakwet, Kenya/South Plains College
Kipyego won the Mt. SAC Relays Invitational 5000-meter run with a time of 15:11.88, breaking her own school record by more than seven seconds. The time is tops in the nation by more than 30 seconds and is nearly one and a half minutes faster than the next best runner in the Big 12. The six-time national champion currently owns the third fastest time in the world in the event and was just over two seconds from breaking the NCAA record of 15:09.67 set by Kim Smith of Providence in 2004.
2008 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week
Men
March 25 Stephen Pifer, Colorado, Sr.
April 1 4 x 100-meter Relay Team, Texas A&M
(Richard Adu-Bobie, Gerald Phiri, Chris Dykes, Justin Oliver)
April 8 Leonel Manzano, Texas, Sr.
April 15 Julian Reid, Texas A&M, Fr.
April 22 Billy Nelson, Colorado, Sr.
Women
March 25 4 x 100-meter Relay Team, Texas A&M
(Elizabeth Adeoti, Porscha Lucas, Simone Facey, Allison George)
April 1 Porscha Lucas, Texas A&M, So.
April 8 Lisa Koll, Iowa State, So.
April 15 Jessica Beard, Texas A&M, Fr.
April 22 Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech, Jr.
