Detroit's Cashner and Kendell, Milwaukee's Harper and YSU's Grambling Secure Outdoor Track and Field Weekly Honors

Indianapolis – Detroit freshman Ben Kendell (Huntington Woods, Mich.) and Youngstown State junior Nina Grambling (Canton, Ohio) have been named Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Runners of the Week while Detroit senior Colin Cashner (St. Louis, Mo.) and Milwaukee freshman Alisha Harper (Milwaukee, Wis.) have been named Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Athletes of the Week for the period of April 6-12.

Kendell won the men’s runner of the week award after making a stellar collegiate debut in the 10,000 meter event at Bucknell University’s Bison Outdoor Classic. He finished fourth out of 39 runners in the event with a time of 30:06.29. His time set a Detroit program record that stood since 2000 by more than 26 seconds (Chris McPhee; 30:33.13). The time is also the top time in the outdoor season by a Horizon League runner by over 90 seconds.

Grambling won women’s runner of the week honors after competing in the 100 and 200 meter running events at the Tennessee Relays. The Canton, Ohio native run a career-best time of 11.61 seconds in the 100-meter dash on Friday to finish third out of 52 runners. On the final day of the meet, Grambling finished fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.09. Both times are the top marks by a Horizon League runner this season.

Cashner joined his teammate Kendell in setting school records as the senior set the program’s hammer throw record at the Bison Outdoor Classic to capture the men’s athlete of the week honor. One week ago, Cashner set the Titan facility record in the hammer throw, but bested his mark a week later with a throw of 63.15 (207’2”) to win the event at Bucknell and eclipse the previous school record mark set by teammate Eric Lewis (62.38m).

Harper captured her first outdoor field athlete of the week honor after topping the field in the long jump at the Marquette Duals. The freshman won the event with a jump of 5.66 meters. The distance is the best in the Horizon League this season.

Top Runners of the Week:
Liz Bloy, Valparaiso (So., Freedom, Wis.) – Bloy posted the second-fastest times in in school history in two different events last week at the Tennessee Relays. She finished 14th in the 1,500m run with a time of 4:34.16 (fastest time in the HL this season) and ninth in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 11:03.56 (second fastest time in the HL this season).
Michael Crepeau, UIC (Fr., Crystal Lake, Ill.) – Crepeau set the fourth highest point total in UIC history in the decathlon at the Chicagoland Championships finishing in second out of nine competitors with 5,656 points.
Brittany Jones, Wright State (Jr., Tucson, Ariz.) – Jones won the 200m event and finished third in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles at the All-Ohio Championships.
Kate Novacek, Milwaukee (So., Waukesha, Wis.) – Novacek won the 100m race at the Marquette Triangular and finished second in the 400m race.
Eric Rupe, Youngstown State (Sr., Corland, Ohio) – Rupe recorded his first career win, taking home top honors at the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 9:09.32 at the Tennessee Relays. His time is the second-fastest in the Horizon League this season.
Serena San Cartier, Oakland (Sr., Sudbury, Ontario) – San Cartier won the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.06 – best time in the HL this year) and finished second out of 20 runers in the 200m event with a time of 25.52.
Jordan Schmidt, Milwaukee (Sr., Appleton, Wis.) – Schmidt won the 110m hurdles at the Marquette Triangular with an HL-best time of 14.14.
Taylor Smith, Detroit (Fr., Blanchard, Mich.) – Smith placed eighth out of 60 runners at the Bison Outdoor Classic in the 5,000m run with a time of of 18:02.96.
Bryce Stroede, Oakland (So., Horton, Mich.) – Stroede the 1500m event with a time of 3:50.20, the third-best time in the HL this year.
Rebecca Zaiter, UIC (Sr., Elmhurst, Ill.) – Zaiter won the 1500m event at the Chicagoland Championships with a time of 4:48.09.

Top Athletes of the Week:
Jordan Banks, UIC (Jr., Bollingbrook, Ill.) – Banks finished third in the triple jump (13.91m) and fifth in the long jump (6.54m) out of 15 competitors at the Chicagoland Championships.
Ashley Bayles, Detroit (So., Adrian, Mich.) – Bayles set personal bests in the hammer throw (43.61m) and the discus (44.41m) at the Northwood Open. Her discus toss is the top discus throw in the HL this season.
Sarah Ann Blount, Wright State (Sr., Dayton, Ohio) – Blount finished third in the long jump (5.08m) and shut put (10.01) at the All-Ohio Championships.
Alex Chollet, Milwaukee (Sr., Aurora, Ill.) – Chollet won two events and finished second in another at the Marquette Triangular. He won the shot put (15.89m) and discus (46.97m) and finished second in the hammer throw (54.20m).
Angela Ciaravino, Oakland (Fr., Lapeer, Mich.) – Ciaravino placed first in the high jump at the Golden Grizzly Dual with a jump of 1.55m.
Sarah Drozdowski, Valparaiso (Sr., Roselle, Ill.) – Drozdowski competed in the discus, hammer, javelin and shot put at the Tennessee Relays. She finished eighth in the hammer throw with a distance of 53.90m, which was the top throw in the Horizon League this season.
Jacob Frey, Valparaiso (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.) – Frey won the hammer throw with a  throw of 56.16m and finished third in the discus with a toss of 43.83m at the Hillsdale Invitational.
Alisha Haper, Milwaukee (Fr., Milwaukee, Wis.) – Harper won the long jump at the Marquette Triangular with a jump of 5.66m. It’s the top jump in the Horizon League this season.
Michelle Laygo, UIC (Fr., Roselle, Ill.) – Laygo finished fifth in the pole vault (2.60 meters) at the Chicagoland Championships.
Gino Vitella, Oakland (Jr., Sterling Heights, Mich.) – Vitella won the shot put at the Golden Grizzlies dual with a school-record toss of 17.6m.