TicketsCINCINNATI - The American Athletic Conference today announced its weekly award winners for track and field with University of Cincinnati senior Loretta Blaut earning the AAC Female Field Athlete of the Week honor following an impressive opening weekend for the 2018 outdoor season. The Cincinnati product (Seton HS) cleared 1.82m (5-11.50) to win the Oliver Nikoloff Open, the first two meets UC will play host to this season.
// UP AND OVER
The last time Blaut competed came at the NCAA Indoor Championships were she finished as the national runner-up following a seven round jump-off. In her first outdoor meet of the season, she picked up where she left off and cleared 1.82m to win the meet while also breaking the meet record. Her best of the meet, which is just 1cm off her outdoor career best (1.83m), stands as the best in the AAC by 1.5" and ranks her second in the NCAA through three weeks of competitions.
Blaut's winning leap also was the second-best mark recorded this past weekend across all collegiate competitions, according to the USTFCCCA Top 10 Marks list. Earlier in the meet, Blaut cleared 1.78m to record the seventh-best (tie) mark of the weekend.
// ADDING AWARDS
With this week's award, the Bearcats have now earned 12 total honors during the 2018 track and field season following 11 earned indoors. Blaut is now a three-time honoree this year after twice earning accolades during the indoor season (Jan. 23 and Feb. 6). Both Blaut and Annette Echikunwoke (Dec. 12, Jan. 30 and Feb. 20) lead the way for UC so far as each have been selected for three awards in 2018. All told, seven different Bearcats have been honored in 2018 with Blaut and Echikunwoke joining indoor recipients Brooke Catherine, Tiona Lattimore and Bryana Robinson for the women and men's honorees Adrian Valles and Alex Bloom.
// IN THE BLOCKS
The second outdoor meet of the season awaits the Bearcats this weekend as they are set to travel to Tucson, Ariz., for the Jim Click Shootout on Saturday, April 7. The meet, which is being hosted at the University of Arizona's Drachman Stadium, also will feature a decathlon and heptathlon competition on Thursday and Friday with Bloom taking part in the decathlon.
2018 American Athletic Conference Awards - Indoor
Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Indoor
Tiona Lattimore - Jan. 16
Bryana Robinson - Feb. 6
Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Indoor
Annette Echikunwoke - Dec. 12 & Jan. 30 & Feb. 20
Loretta Blaut - Jan. 23 & Feb. 6
Brooke Catherine - Feb. 13
Outdoor
Loretta Blaut - Apr. 3
Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Indoor
Adrian Valles - Jan. 16 & Jan. 23
Alex Bloom - Feb. 6
// UP AND OVER
The last time Blaut competed came at the NCAA Indoor Championships were she finished as the national runner-up following a seven round jump-off. In her first outdoor meet of the season, she picked up where she left off and cleared 1.82m to win the meet while also breaking the meet record. Her best of the meet, which is just 1cm off her outdoor career best (1.83m), stands as the best in the AAC by 1.5" and ranks her second in the NCAA through three weeks of competitions.
Blaut's winning leap also was the second-best mark recorded this past weekend across all collegiate competitions, according to the USTFCCCA Top 10 Marks list. Earlier in the meet, Blaut cleared 1.78m to record the seventh-best (tie) mark of the weekend.
// ADDING AWARDS
With this week's award, the Bearcats have now earned 12 total honors during the 2018 track and field season following 11 earned indoors. Blaut is now a three-time honoree this year after twice earning accolades during the indoor season (Jan. 23 and Feb. 6). Both Blaut and Annette Echikunwoke (Dec. 12, Jan. 30 and Feb. 20) lead the way for UC so far as each have been selected for three awards in 2018. All told, seven different Bearcats have been honored in 2018 with Blaut and Echikunwoke joining indoor recipients Brooke Catherine, Tiona Lattimore and Bryana Robinson for the women and men's honorees Adrian Valles and Alex Bloom.
// IN THE BLOCKS
The second outdoor meet of the season awaits the Bearcats this weekend as they are set to travel to Tucson, Ariz., for the Jim Click Shootout on Saturday, April 7. The meet, which is being hosted at the University of Arizona's Drachman Stadium, also will feature a decathlon and heptathlon competition on Thursday and Friday with Bloom taking part in the decathlon.
2018 American Athletic Conference Awards - Indoor
Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Indoor
Tiona Lattimore - Jan. 16
Bryana Robinson - Feb. 6
Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Indoor
Annette Echikunwoke - Dec. 12 & Jan. 30 & Feb. 20
Loretta Blaut - Jan. 23 & Feb. 6
Brooke Catherine - Feb. 13
Outdoor
Loretta Blaut - Apr. 3
Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Indoor
Adrian Valles - Jan. 16 & Jan. 23
Alex Bloom - Feb. 6