NEW ORLEANS-- Trine's Kara Eck has been named of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's National Athletes of the Week, the organization announced Tuesday.
Eck (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) was named the top women's performer in all of NCAA Division III for her performance in the University of Indianapolis Winter Break Meet. The sophomore won the weight throw by over three feet, launching a throw of 57 feet, three inches to top a field that included performers from the NCAA Division II ranks. The throw was just five inches shy of a school record and is the top mark at the Division III level this year. Eck also saw success in the shot put, placing fourth with a throw of 41 feet, 9.25 inches.
Eck has started the season strong to follow up an All-American campaign a year ago. Her weight throw performance is three feet ahead of her pace at this time last winter. Eck also set a new program-best mark in the shot put in the season-opening Trine Conditioner, throwing a distance of 44 feet, four inches to break her old team record by two feet. That performance is ranked fourth in the nation.
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.
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.
Trine will return to competition Saturday, Jan. 16 when the Thunder host the Jon and Carol Liechty Alumni Invitational in Keith E. Busse/Steel Dynamics Athletic Recreation Center.