SPORTS STORIES:
SPORTS INFORMATION—2009
track and field's nwanna and jeroski honored...
CLEVELAND, OH (March 12, 2009) - Two Case Western Reserve University track and field student-athletes were honored this week by two different organizations for their success during the 2009 indoor track and field season.
Junior Obinna Nwanna (Maumee, OH) was named the Great Lakes Region Male Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and sophomore Justine Jeroski (Murrysville, PA) was named the University Athletic Association’s (UAA) Female Runner of the Year.
“Obi has worked extremely hard ever since he decided to take up the multi-events,” said Case Western Reserve Head Coach Steve Rubin. “He's had to learn almost every event from square-one and has made incredible progress. This recognition is well-deserved and gives our whole program great pride.”
Headed into the first-ever pentathlon [pent] contested at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships [Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology March 13-14], Nwanna has the best mark in the event with 3,723 points. Click here to read more about his qualifying performance. He recently scored 22 points at the UAA championships, finishing second in the 55 meter hurdles, second in the high jump, and third in the shot put.
“Obi's goal from the very start was to be competitive at the national level,” continued Rubin. “He has tremendous gifts, but his work ethic and dedication are the real keys to his success. I'm confident that he's entering this meet with more focus and determination than ever before and I believe that with that mindset and preparation he'll be contending all the way to the end.”
Nwanna, who will be making his first trip to Nationals, will participate in the pent on Saturday and seek the sports’ ultimate honor – All-America. The indoor pent covers five events as the athletes run both the 55-meter hurdles and 1,000-meter run, do both the long and high jump and throw the shot put. The most points tallied wins. Click here to view a recent video feature on Nwanna.
Jeroski turned in a phenomenal performance at the recent UAA championships, winning both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs to become a dual UAA champion and led all Spartan scorers. She won the 5,000 on day one in 17:35.30, which was 24 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Then on day two, she won the 3,000 with a time of 10:06.14, becoming a UAA champion in multiple events. Jeroski would rack up 20 of Case Western Reserve’s 42 total team points.
“When I look back at last year’s UAA meet, I believe we scored 10 points less with multiple distance All-American Esther Erb,” explained Case Western Reserve Assistant Coach and Head Cross Country Coach Kathy Lanese. “Justine is one of those people that our team needed this year. Who would have thought she would be in her prime as just a sophomore? The future looks very bright for her at this point.”
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