Colorado State University Athletics
Rams’ Austin Blaho, Darius Smith sweep men’s Mountain West Athlete of the Week honors
5/1/2018 3:45:00 PM | Track & Field
Blaho earns weekly conference honors for the second straight week, while Smith earns the first of his career
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado State's Austin Blaho and Darius Smith have swept men's weekly outdoor conference honors, as Blaho was named Mountain West Men's Field Athlete of the Week for the second straight week and Smith was tabbed Mountain West Men's Track Athlete of the Week. The conference announced its weekly accolades on Tuesday.
Blaho, the April 24 MW Men's Field Athlete of the Week, repeats that honor this week after recording a personal-best mark in the men's shot put for the fourth consecutive meet. The senior topped his previous-best mark, which won the most recent weekly conference honor, with a new lifetime-best mark of 58-10.75 (17.95m) at the 7220 Invite. Blaho won the event at the meet by nearly four feet.
With that mark, Blaho moved up to sixth in the event on CSU's all-time outdoor list. The native of Fort Collins, Colo., topped his previous best by nearly a foot, and ranks as the NCAA's 57th-ranked athlete in the event and the top athlete in the conference in the event by over a foot.
Smith earns his first career weekly conference accolade after a personal-best performance in the 400-meter hurdles this past weekend. The junior placed as the top collegian at the 7220 Invite with a time of 51.99, which ranks 12th on CSU's all-time outdoor list.
Smith's time ranks 73rd in the NCAA this outdoor season. The Riverdale, Ga., native ranks as one of only five athletes among the NCAA's top 100 performers in the event to have recorded his respective outdoor best in the 400-meter hurdles at altitude and is by far the highest-ranked Mountain West athlete with a season best at altitude in the event.
Blaho is the only Ram to be honored with multiple weekly conference honors this outdoor season. Along with Blaho and Smith, each of Kelcey Bedard, Autumn Gardner, Destinee Rocker and Ronald Sayles have received weekly outdoor conference honors in 2018.
The Colorado State track & field team is away from competition this week before returning to action at the 2018 Mountain West Outdoor Track & Field Championships next week. The conference meet is slated to be hosted by Fresno State from May 9-12 from Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, Calif.
Blaho, the April 24 MW Men's Field Athlete of the Week, repeats that honor this week after recording a personal-best mark in the men's shot put for the fourth consecutive meet. The senior topped his previous-best mark, which won the most recent weekly conference honor, with a new lifetime-best mark of 58-10.75 (17.95m) at the 7220 Invite. Blaho won the event at the meet by nearly four feet.
With that mark, Blaho moved up to sixth in the event on CSU's all-time outdoor list. The native of Fort Collins, Colo., topped his previous best by nearly a foot, and ranks as the NCAA's 57th-ranked athlete in the event and the top athlete in the conference in the event by over a foot.
Smith earns his first career weekly conference accolade after a personal-best performance in the 400-meter hurdles this past weekend. The junior placed as the top collegian at the 7220 Invite with a time of 51.99, which ranks 12th on CSU's all-time outdoor list.
Smith's time ranks 73rd in the NCAA this outdoor season. The Riverdale, Ga., native ranks as one of only five athletes among the NCAA's top 100 performers in the event to have recorded his respective outdoor best in the 400-meter hurdles at altitude and is by far the highest-ranked Mountain West athlete with a season best at altitude in the event.
Blaho is the only Ram to be honored with multiple weekly conference honors this outdoor season. Along with Blaho and Smith, each of Kelcey Bedard, Autumn Gardner, Destinee Rocker and Ronald Sayles have received weekly outdoor conference honors in 2018.
The Colorado State track & field team is away from competition this week before returning to action at the 2018 Mountain West Outdoor Track & Field Championships next week. The conference meet is slated to be hosted by Fresno State from May 9-12 from Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, Calif.
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