Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Release #7
Feb. 20, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Youngstown State thrower Aaron Merrill and Milwaukee sophomore middle distance runner Laura Ring were selected Horizon League men's and women's track Athletes of the Week based on their performances this past weekend.
Male Athlete of the Week
Aaron Merrill
Youngstown State
Jr., Leetonia, Ohio
Merrill broke his own school record in the shot put and established a personal-best mark in the weight throw at the Baldwin-Wallace Mid-February Meet last Friday in Berea, Ohio. In the shot put, Merrill posted a mark of 54 feet, 10 inches to win by more than four and a half feet. Merrill also notched a first-place toss in the weight throw with a performance of 54 feet. The junior currently holds the League's top distance in the shot put this season.
Female Athlete of the Week
Laura Ring
Milwaukee
So., Twin Lakes, Wis.
Ring took first in the 800-meter run this past weekend at the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa. The Wisconsin native posted a time of 2:14.81. Ring's time in the event is the top time in the League this season and the third-fastest in school history.
Other Men's Top Performers for the Week
Tommy Davies
Butler
Jr., Wickham, U.K.
Davies posted a lifetime best of 8:14.83 while placing 23rd in the men's 3,000 meter run at the Husky Classic, hosted by the University of Washington. His time was 10 seconds faster than his previous indoor best, set at the Gladstein Invitational.
Ryan Byrne
Detroit
Gr., Exuma, Ontario
Byrne was part of UDM's record-breaking 4x400-meter relay team that finished fourth with a time of 3:20.96 to break the Titan record from 1995. He then came back with a new personal-best of 1:58.68 in the 800 meter run.
Joe Mahalick
Loyola
Sr., Joliet, Ill.
Mahalick posted a time of 1:53.71 in the 800 meter run this past weekend, which now ranks him ninth on Loyola's all-time indoor charts.
Darren Cole
Milwaukee
Sr., Milwaukee, Wis.
Cole took fifth in the triple jump at the Iowa State Classic over the weekend with a leap of 48 feet, 2.50 inches. Cole's performance in the event is the best in the League this season.
Rupesh Manam
UIC
Fr., Northbrook, Ill.
Manam posted a season-best fifth place finish in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 1.25 inches at the Chicagoland Championships. He also posted a personal-best time of 8.60 seconds in the 55-mter hurdles.
Steve Bartholomew
Valparaiso
Sr., Valparaiso, Ind.
Bartholomew broke his own school record in the weight throw for the second consecutive weekend, registering a toss of 61 feet, 9.75 inches, which was nine inches further than his effort last weekend at the Meyo Invitational. The senior's winning mark surpassed the runner-up's distance by nearly nine feet.
Other Women's Top Performers for the Week
Rachel Gibbs
Butler
Jr., Herfordshire, England
Gibbs ran a lifetime best of 17:07.12 and placed 17th in the 5,000 meter run at the Husky Classic. Her time at the Husky Classic was 37 seconds faster than her previous indoor best, set last week at the Meyo Invitational.
Amanda Smith
Detroit
Sr., Coopersville, Mich.
Smith set two career marks this past weekend in the 800-meter run and in the 60 meter dash at the Eastern Michigan Classic. In the 800 meters, Smith clocked a time of 2:18.82 and then followed with a performance of 9.71 in the 60 meters. Smith was also a part of the fourth-place 4x400 meter relay that clocked at 4:03.41.
Genevieve Binne
Loyola
Jr., Homewood, Ill.
Binnie recorded a personal-best time of 17:51.41 in the 5,000 meter run. Binne's time is 85 seconds faster than her pervious peronal best. The Illinois finished 26 among 53 runners in the event.
Monique Bostert
UIC
So., Glendale Heights, Ill.
Bostert won her second weight throw title of the year on Friday afternoon at the Chicagoland Championships. For the second time this season, she set a new personal and school record with a heave of 15.56m, moving her into sixth place among League performances. Bostert also threw a season-best distance of 11.68m in the shot put.
Melanie Wilson
Valparaiso
Sr., Saint Louis, Mo.
Wilson took top honors in the 55-meter hurdles for the second consecutive meet, crossing the line in 8.43 seconds. She also added a second-place finish for the Crusaders in the triple jump, leaping 36 feet, 7.50 inches.
Danielle Curry
Youngstown State
Fr., Thornville, Ohio
Curry won the shot put (42 feet, 11.50 inches) and placed third in the weight throw with a personal-best mark of 54-8 3/4 at the Baldwin-Wallace Mid-February Meet.
