NEW ORLEANS -- Trine's Jeffery Barnett has been named the NCAA Division III National Track and Field Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the organization announced today.
Barnett (Fremont, Ohio / Fremont-Ross) notched the sixth-longest long jump in NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field history Friday in Trine's Don and Riley Zimmer Indoor Classic. The sophomore launched a jump of 7.61 meters (24 feet, 11.75 inches) to set a new school record for the second consecutive week. The jump was the eighth-longest in the history of NCAA Division III track and field, including both indoor and outdoor marks.
This is the first national honor of Barnett's career and follows up back-to-back Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Field Athlete of the Week honors. Barnett's jump is the best in the nation in Division III this year. He has virtually locked up a bid to the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships, set to be held Mar. 10-11 in Naperville, Ill.
National Athlete of the Week is an award selected and presented by the USTFCCCA communications staff to honor the best indoor collegiate track and field athletes of the week. The selected student-athletes are made up of one man and one woman from each of the three NCAA divisions and the NJCAA.
The award seeks to highlight not only the very best times, marks and scores on a week-to-week basis, but also performances that were significant on the national landscape and/or the latest in a series of strong outings. Quality of competition, suspenseful finishes and other factors also play a key role in the decision.
The Trine men's track and field team returns to action Saturday, Feb. 4 at the IWU Midwest Classic. Events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.