Max Thomas was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, Ashley Erasmus Women’s Field Athlete of the Week, Brianna Selby Women’s Freshman of the Week and Madison Whyte Women’s Track Athlete of the Week for April 9-16 it was announced by the conference office today (April 16). The Trojan program has had athletes earned 12 of the first 26 Big Ten weekly honors.
Thomas, a junior from Long Beach, Calif., won the men’s 100m dash with a wind-aided PR of 9.92 (+2.4w) at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Team Invitational on April 12. Thomas’ time ranks third in the world under any condition and second among NCAA runners this season. What made it even more impressive is that it was his first individual race of the outdoor season, after coming back from injury at the end of the indoor season. He also ran the second leg for USC’s 4x100m relay which won that same day with a school-record time of 38.41. USC’s relay time in the NCAA leader and currently ranks fifth in the world.
The freshman Erasmus, the Big Ten’s leading women’s shot putter, won the women’s shot put and set the meet record with a mark of 57-10.75 (17.63m) at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Team Invitational on April 11. Erasmus is now 4-for-4 in shot put titles in her outdoor college career, including setting the school record of 58-5.75 (17.82m) earlier in the season. The native of Mbombela, South Africa has thrown at least 57-1 in all four competitions. Erasmus also competed in the discus throw on April 12 and placed seventh with a PR of 176-11 (53.92m) which ranks fifth among Big Ten throwers this season and moved her to tied for seventh on USC’s all-time list.
Selby, a freshman from Chesapeake, Va., won the women’s 100m dash title with a PR of 11.11 (+1.9) at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Team Invitational on April 12. For wind-legal times this season, she is tied for the collegiate lead and tied for fourth in the world. Among all conditions, her time ranks tied for ninth among collegians. Her time also moves her into an 11th-place tie on USC’s all-time list. Selby also anchored USC’s all-freshman 4x100m relay team that day which placed second with a time of 43.46. USC’s time leads all Big Ten teams and ranks as the ninth-fastest school this season.
Whyte, a sophomore from Newport News, Va., won both the 200m and 400m races at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Team Invitational last week. Whyte won the 200m on April 11 with an outdoor world-leading and NCAA-leading time of 22.32. That time set the meet and facility record, as well as moving her into a third-place tie on USC’s all-time 200m list. The next day Whyte won the 400m dash with and matched her PR of 50.91. That time ranks second on the NCAA descending order list. Both times are Big Ten leading times. Whyte also anchored USC’s 4x400m relay which won on April 12 with a time of 3:29.61, which ranks second in the Big Ten this season and sixth in the country.
Trojans earning Big Ten track and field weekly honors during the outdoor season have been: Racquil Broderick (M-Field, March 26), Ashley Erasmus (W-Field & W-Freshman, March 26 and W-Field, April 16), Elias Gerald (M-Co-Field, April 2), Garrett Kaalund (M-Track, Aprl 2), Christine M. Mallard (W-Track, March 26), Yougendy Mauricette (M-Track, March 26), Brianna Selby (W-Freshman, April 16), Max Thomas (M-Track, April 16) and Madison Whyte (W-Track, April 2 and W-Track April 16).