ANGOLA, IND. -- For the second straight season, Trine University senior Kara Eck (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) has been named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association "Most Valuable Field" performer for her individual efforts during the conference championship meet.
Eck garnered the award last season and earns her fourth overall MIAA "Most Valuable Field" performer recognition. She has also received the last two awards during the outdoor season (2016 and 2017).
This winter, Eck helped the Thunder women's track & field team to a second-place finish at the MIAA Championship, falling just 1.5 points shy of the eventual team champion. Individually, Eck won a pair of titles in the weight throw and shot put.
In the weight throw, Eck had a best toss of 53' 7.75" (16.35 meters) to capture first place. Her mark was over six-and-a-half feet farther than her nearest opponent. This was also her second straight year that she has finished as MIAA Champion in the event. In addition, Eck currently has the second-best overall mark in NCAA Division III in the weight throw with a distance of 60' 6.50" which she recorded at the Findlay (Ohio) University Oiler Open in December.
Eck continued her winning efforts to claim the top spot in the shot put after a best throw of 41' 4.50" (12.61 meters) and finished nearly two feet ahead of the runner-up. This was also Eck's second straight MIAA individual title in the indoor shot put. She has also captured the conference championship in the shot put during the last two outdoor seasons (2016 and 2017).
Eck received All-MIAA accolades in the weight throw and shot put as an event winner.