TicketsCINCINNATI - The American Athletic Conference has announced its weekly award winners with University of Cincinnati senior Alexis Anton being selected as the Female Track Athlete of the Week following an outstanding performance in the rain at the Kentucky Relays last Saturday. One week after graduating from UC, Anton smashed her 1,500m PR to help her gain her first career weekly award from the conference.
Anton's day in Lexington began with the 1,500m run and, despite the falling rain, the senior placed fourth overall in a time of 4:33.63, the third-fastest time in program history. Not only did she become just the fifth Bearcats woman to run under 4:37 in the event in program history, she did so by taking 4.43 seconds off her previous best in the event. With her time she moved up to seventh on the league's descending order list ahead of the conference meet.
She wasn't done there, however, as she came back and raced in the 800m run, putting down a time of 2:12.63 to win the race. She has a better time already this season, a time that ranks her sixth in the AAC standings. With her conference rankings, Anton is one of only four women in the league that has times ranking her in the Top 8 in both the 800m and 1,500m runs ahead of the conference meet.
// THAT'S A FIRST
Since the league began in 2014, only two other UC women had been honored with weekly track awards, including Kenya Woodall (three times for sprints and relays) and Aliya Barnes (once for hurdles) before Anton's honor this week. In fact, Anton is the first distance athlete at UC - male or female - to bring home a weekly honor from the AAC and the first Bearcats runner to be honored since the 2016 season (Woodall, April 12).
// ADDING AWARDS
With this week's award, the Bearcats have now earned 13 total honors during the 2018 track and field season following 11 earned indoors.
Anton earned her first of the year and of her career while Loretta Blaut, who was named the female field athlete of the week on April 3, earned the only other outdoor award this season for UC. 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, eight different Bearcats have been honored in 2018 with Anton, 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 2018 AAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Cincinnati this week with the meet running May 11-13 at Gettler Stadium and Coy Field.
2018 American Athletic Conference Awards - Indoor
Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Indoor (2)
Tiona Lattimore - Jan. 16
Bryana Robinson - Feb. 6
Outdoor (1)
Alexis Anton - May 8
Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Indoor (6)
Annette Echikunwoke - Dec. 12 & Jan. 30 & Feb. 20
Loretta Blaut - Jan. 23 & Feb. 6
Brooke Catherine - Feb. 13
Outdoor (1)
Loretta Blaut - Apr. 3
Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Indoor (3)
Adrian Valles - Jan. 16 & Jan. 23
Alex Bloom - Feb. 6
Anton's day in Lexington began with the 1,500m run and, despite the falling rain, the senior placed fourth overall in a time of 4:33.63, the third-fastest time in program history. Not only did she become just the fifth Bearcats woman to run under 4:37 in the event in program history, she did so by taking 4.43 seconds off her previous best in the event. With her time she moved up to seventh on the league's descending order list ahead of the conference meet.
She wasn't done there, however, as she came back and raced in the 800m run, putting down a time of 2:12.63 to win the race. She has a better time already this season, a time that ranks her sixth in the AAC standings. With her conference rankings, Anton is one of only four women in the league that has times ranking her in the Top 8 in both the 800m and 1,500m runs ahead of the conference meet.
// THAT'S A FIRST
Since the league began in 2014, only two other UC women had been honored with weekly track awards, including Kenya Woodall (three times for sprints and relays) and Aliya Barnes (once for hurdles) before Anton's honor this week. In fact, Anton is the first distance athlete at UC - male or female - to bring home a weekly honor from the AAC and the first Bearcats runner to be honored since the 2016 season (Woodall, April 12).
// ADDING AWARDS
With this week's award, the Bearcats have now earned 13 total honors during the 2018 track and field season following 11 earned indoors.
Anton earned her first of the year and of her career while Loretta Blaut, who was named the female field athlete of the week on April 3, earned the only other outdoor award this season for UC. 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, eight different Bearcats have been honored in 2018 with Anton, 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 2018 AAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Cincinnati this week with the meet running May 11-13 at Gettler Stadium and Coy Field.
2018 American Athletic Conference Awards - Indoor
Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Indoor (2)
Tiona Lattimore - Jan. 16
Bryana Robinson - Feb. 6
Outdoor (1)
Alexis Anton - May 8
Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Indoor (6)
Annette Echikunwoke - Dec. 12 & Jan. 30 & Feb. 20
Loretta Blaut - Jan. 23 & Feb. 6
Brooke Catherine - Feb. 13
Outdoor (1)
Loretta Blaut - Apr. 3
Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Indoor (3)
Adrian Valles - Jan. 16 & Jan. 23
Alex Bloom - Feb. 6