CAA Indoor Track & Field Weekly Awards – Feb. 14
Hunter Peters
RICHMOND, Va. (Feb. 14, 2023) – The CAA has announced its seventh edition of Indoor Track and Field weekly awards for the 2022-23 season. On the women’s side, Northeastern junior distance runner Abigail Hassman earned CAA Track Athlete of the Week and Delaware senior thrower Chioma Njoku received CAA Field Athlete of the Week honors. For the men, North Carolina A&T swept the awards, with junior sprinter Reheem Hayles taking home CAA Track Athlete of the Week and freshman thrower Qualiar Newton collecting CAA Field Athlete of the Week accolades.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Abigail Hassman, Northeastern
Junior | Distance | Foxborough, Mass. / Foxborough HS
Hassman shattered the Northeastern program record in the 5000m at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invite. The junior distance runner posted a personal-best time of 16:17.59 in the event to break the previous record by over 18 seconds. Her time is the top in the conference this season and is over 30 seconds faster than the second-ranked competitor.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Chioma Njoku, Delaware
Senior | Throws | Newark, Del. / Padua
Njoku reset the Delaware program record in the weight throw for the second weekend in a row at the Big Apple Invitational. The senior thrower launched her fourth attempt 20.15m (66-01.50) to win the competition and beat her mark from last week (19.20m) by nearly one meter. Njoku is the second CAA student-athlete to throw over 20m this season, and while ranking second in the league, her mark is 37th in the NCAA.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Reheem Hayles, North Carolina A&T
Junior | Sprints | Springfield Gardens, N.Y. / Springfield Gardens
Hayles bettered his league-leading mark in the 400m and helped the Aggies’ 4x400m relay team post a season-best time at the Tiger Paw Invite. The junior sprinter went sub 46 seconds in the 400m, posting an indoor personal record of 45.95 to take fifth in the event. With the mark, Hayles ranks ninth in the NCAA this season. Additionally, he was a member of the N.C. A&T 4x400m relay team that ran a league-leading time of 3:06.46 to take 11th in a loaded field. The time is over seven seconds faster than the next-best in the conference and ranks 33rd in the NCAA this season.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Qualiar Newton, North Carolina A&T
Freshman | Throws | Hyde Park, N.Y. / FDR High School
Newton recorded a personal best in the weight throw at the Tiger Paw Invite with a mark of 17.45m (57-03.00). The throw placed him 14th in a highly competitive field and moved him into third on the CAA performance list this season.
Women’s Notes
Delaware – The Blue Hens compete in their final meet before the CAA Championships at the Big Apple Invitational.
Aja Davis won the 60m (7.49) and 200m (24.37) dashes, recording a personal best in the 200 …
Elon – The Phoenix returned to Liberty for the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational. Two Elon athletes broke program records at the competition as
Piper Jons won the 300m in a time of 39.34 and
Lauryn Carlton took third in the weight throw with a mark of 18.49m (60-08.00) …
Hampton – The Lady Pirates were back in action at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex over the weekend.
Maya Seay competed in the 60m (7.88) and 60m hurdles (8.70), finishing fifth in the hurdles …
Hofstra – The Pride pair of split squads to the FastTrack National Invitational on Staten Island and the BU David Hemery Valentine Invite in Boston.
Jordyn McDonnell recorded a personal best in the mile, running 4:55.33 …
Monmouth – The Hawks sent most of the team to the FastTrack National Invitational, with a few athletes competing in Boston at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invite.
Marisa Kilgarriff ran a PR in the 5000m, posting a time of 17:12.71 …
North Carolina A&T – The Aggies returned to Clemson for the Tiger Paw Invite.
Jada Griffin and
Ayoola Gbolade bettered league-leading times at the competition. Griffin ran a personal-best 53.03 in the 400m, while Gbolade finished the 800m in 2:06.86 …
UNCW – The Seahawks participated in the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational at Liberty.
Nasiah Ferguson and
Kendall Hobbs broke program records at the competition. Ferguson ran 39.91 in the 300m, and Hobbs clocked 5:01.25 in the mile …
Northeastern – The Huskies returned to BU for the David Hemery Valentine Invite.
Lucinda Shotts recorded a personal record in the 800m, running 2:10.45. The time ranks third in the conference this year …
Stony Brook – The Seawolves competed at the FastTrack National Invitational on Staten Island.
Grace Weigele won the mile with a personal-best time of 4:50.61 …
Towson – The Tigers traveled north for the David Hemery Valentine Invite at Boston University.
Cristal Cuervo ran a personal-best 55.13 in the 400m, which is the fourth-best time in the conference this season …
William & Mary – The Tribe remained in the Commonwealth, traveling to the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational.
Melissa Cunningham broke the program record in the 60m with a time of 7.68, followed by
Anna Kessler, who ran 7.69 in the event. Prior to Friday, no Tribe runner had run under 7.72 in the event.
Men’s Notes
Hampton – The Pirates competed at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex for the third time this season. Freshman
Korede Otusaio placed seventh in the 800m with a time of 1:55.43 …
Hofstra – The Pride sent athletes to two meets, sending competitors to the FastTrack National Invitational on Staten Island, and the BU David Hemery Valentine Invite in Boston.
Abraham Longosiwa bettered his league-leading time in the 5000m, running a personal-best 13:39.61 …
Monmouth – The Hawks split between competitions at the FastTrack National Invitational and BU David Hemery Valentine Invite. The DMR won in Boston, setting a program record with a time of 9:37.38, which is the best in the CAA this season …
North Carolina A&T – The Aggies were back in action at Clemson for the Tiger Paw Invite. Freshman
Jason Holmes broke out in the 60m hurdles, establishing a league-best time of 7.69. The mark ranks eighth in the NCAA this season …
Northeastern – The Huskies returned to BU for the David Hemery Valentine Invite. Two Huskies broke program records, as
Benjamin Godish ran 7:52.03 in the 3000m, and
Matthew Schaefer finished 13:53.19 in the 5000m. The time for Godish in the best in the CAA this season …
Stony Brook – The Seawolves participated in FastTrack National Invitational, where
Robert Becker ran a league-leading time in the mile. Becker won the event with a time of 3:59.66, the only sub-four-minute mile in the CAA this winter …
William & Mary – The Tribe ran at Liberty for the second time this season at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational.
Samuel Pritchard set a PR in the 1000m, recording a time of 2:26.70.
2022-23 CAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Dec. 6: Piper Jons, Elon
Dec. 13: Jordyn McDonnell, Hofstra
Jan. 16: Paula Salmon, North Carolina A&T
Jan. 24: Jada Griffin, North Carolina A&T
Jan. 31: Piper Jons, Elon
Feb. 7: Paula Salmon, North Carolina A&T
Feb. 14: Abigail Hassman, Northeastern
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Dec. 6: Keeley Suzenski, William & Mary
Dec. 13: Gianna Rao, Northeastern
Jan. 16: Courtney Lines, UNCW
Jan. 24: Dominique Biron, Northeastern
Jan. 31: Madison George, Elon
Feb. 7: Julieth Nwosu, North Carolina A&T
Feb. 14: Chioma Njoku, Delaware
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Dec. 6: Jaheim Stern, Hampton
Jan. 16: Ethan Exilhomme, Northeastern
Jan. 24: Ethan Exilhomme, Northeastern
Jan. 24: Reheem Hayles, North Carolina A&T
Jan. 31: Reed Cherry, Northeastern
Feb. 7: Reheem Hayles, North Carolina A&T
Feb. 14: Reheem Hayles, North Carolina A&T
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Dec. 6: Mujeeb Ali, Monmouth
Dec. 13: Dalton Yeust, Monmouth
Jan. 16: Brayden Hodgest, North Carolina A&T
Jan. 24: Aeneas Reed, North Carolina A&T
Jan. 31: Dalton Yeust, Monmouth
Feb. 7: Brayden Hodgest, North Carolina A&T
Feb. 14: Qualiar Newton, North Carolina A&T
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