Wednesday, March 24, 2010

MACON, Ga. – USC Upstate’s Jemeli Sang earned Atlantic Sun Track Athlete of the Week by posting the league’s top 5,000-meter time while Gabrielle Walker used two tough tosses to collect the league’s Field Athlete of the Week award.  

In her first race of the outdoor season, Sang won the 5,000-meter run Friday at the 49er Classic in Charlotte, N.C. The sophomore nursing major crossed the finish line in 17:29.84 and stood as just one of two competitors in the field of 51 to finish in less than 17:40.00. The Eldoret, Kenya native’s time of 17:29.84 ranks as the fastest in the Atlantic Sun this season.

At the 49er Classic in both the shot put and the hammer throw, Walker recorded the fifth-farthest throw in school history. The sociology major’s toss of 33-07.50 (10.25m) in the shot put placed her 18th in a field of 37 competitors. The Chattanooga, Tenn. native posted a mark of 122-06.00 (37.35m) in the hammer throw, which ranks as the fifth-best mark in the Atlantic Sun. The junior also competed in the discus throw where she finished 30th after a mark of 78-09.00 (24.00m). It marked the first time Walker has competed in any of the aforementioned outdoor events.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.