BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Army West Point and Boston University took home two awards apiece, while Bucknell and Lehigh split the remaining two awards, when the Patriot League Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week were announced on Tuesday.
Boston University sophomore Karsen Vesty was named Patriot League Outdoor Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after logging top-15 national marks in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter races. The New Zealand native logged an 800m time of 1:48.21 to place second at the Raleigh Relays, while also placing 13th in the 1,500m with a time of 3:40.21. Vesty's 800m time ranks eighth in NCAA DI, while his 1,500m time ranks 14th. Army West Point sophomore Mikayla Cheney earned Patriot League Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after logging Patriot League-leading marks in the 800m (2:08.00) and the 1,500m (4:21.71) at the Raleigh Relays. She joins the national ranks at 27th in the 1,500m and 54th in the 800m.
Lehigh’s Skyler Mott earned Patriot League Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after a runner-up finish at the Monmouth Season Opener in the high jump with a mark of 2.06m (6’ 9”). The mark ranks 55th in NCAA DI and leads the Patriot League. Army West Point senior Emily Fink was named Patriot League Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she logged a stellar hammer throw mark of 67.52m (221' 6"). Her mark leads the League by nearly 25 feet and is the second-best throw in NCAA DI this season.
Boston University freshman Thomas Cowan garnered Patriot League Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Week honors after logging a time of 1:48.62 in the 800m to earn a fifth-place finish at the Raleigh Relays. His mark ranks 16th in NCAA DI and is the best nationally by a freshman. Bucknell’s Noelani Sadler earned Patriot League Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Week honors after winning the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.15 at the Lafayette Open.
Army West Point junior Robby Manse, Boston University’s Olivia Hughes, Peace Omonzane and Samuel Roszak, Bucknell’s Evelyn Bliss, Loyola Maryland’s Lauryn Clarke and Navy’s Murphy Smith each earned honorable mention recognition this week.
Patriot League Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Karsen Vesty, Boston University, So., Mid-Distance, Havelock North, New Zealand/Havelock North
*The New Zealand native logged an 800m time of 1:48.21 to place second, while also placing 13th in the 1,500m with a time of 3:40.21.
*Vesty's 800m time ranks eighth in the NCAA, while his 1,500m time ranks 14th.
*Both marks lead the Patriot League.
Patriot League Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Mikayla Cheney, Army West Point, So., Distance, New Castle, Colo./Coal Ridge
*Cheney logged Patriot League-leading marks in the 800m (2:08.00) and the 1,500m (4:21.71) at the Raleigh Relays.
*She joins the national ranks at 27th in the 1500m and 54th in the 800m.
Patriot League Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Skyler Mott, Lehigh, Sr., Jumps, Mill Neck, N.Y./Friends
*Mott cleared 2.06m (6’ 9”) en route to a runner-up finish in the high jump at the Monmouth Season Opener.
*The mark leads the Patriot League and ranks 55th in NCAA DI.
Patriot League Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Emily Fink, Army West Point, Sr., Throws, Three Lakes, Wisc./Three Lakes
*Fink won the Hammer Throw at the Monmouth Season Opener with a throw of 67.52m (221' 6").
*She ranks second in NCAA DI and leads the Patriot League.
Patriot League Men’s Rookie of the Week
Thomas Cowan, Boston University, Fr., Mid-Distance, Auckland, New Zealand/Westlake Boys
*Cowan ran 1:48.62 in the 800m to earn a fifth-place finish at the Raleigh Relays.
*He also logged a time of 49.36 in the 400m.
*His 800m time ranks 16th nationally and has the top mark among all freshmen.
Patriot League Women’s Rookie of the Week
Noelani Sadler, Bucknell, Fr., Hurdles, Miami, Fla./Palmer Trinity
*Sadler won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.15.
*The mark is the second best in the Patriot League this season.
Honorable Mention
Robby Manse, Army West Point, Jr., Throws, Middletown, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy
*Manse earned two runner-up finishes at the Monmouth Track and Field Season Opener with a shot put toss of 17.49m (57' 4.75") and a hammer throw of 60.13m (197' 3").
Olivia Hughes, Boston University, Fr., Multis, Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy
*Hughes earned 4,655 points in the heptathlon to finish third at the Bobcat Invitational.
Peace Omonzane, Boston University, Jr., Jumps, Brampton, Ontario/St. Edmund Campion Catholic
*Omonzane finished second in the long jump (6.24m | 20’ 5.75”) and fourth in the triple jump (12.85m | 42’ 2”).
*Both marks lead the Patriot League and rank 15th in NCAA DI.
Samuel Roszak, Boston University, Sr., Jumps, Winnetka, Ill./North Shore County Day
*Roszak logged a 7.19m jump at the Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos, Texas. The mark ranks 88th in NCAA DI.
Evelyn Bliss, Bucknell, So., Javelin, Rimersburg, Pa./Union AC Valley
*Bliss finished as the runner-up with a mark of 51.97m (170’ 6”).
*Her mark leads the Patriot League and ranks 14th in NCAA DI.
Lauren Clarke, Loyola Maryland, Jr., Sprints, Damascus, Md./Damascus
*Clarke earned two gold medals with first-place finishes in the 100m (11.82) and the 200m (24.20) at the Navy Outdoor Invitational.
Murphy Smith, Navy, Sr., Distance, Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell
*Smith set a school record in the 10,000m at the Raleigh Relays.
*The senior from Charlotte, N.C., posted a 28:23.81 time to place 17th in the event.
PATRIOT LEAGUE OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2024-25 Patriot League Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held in Worchester, Mass. at the College of the Holy Cross. Events at Hart Track begin Friday, May 2, and conclude on Saturday, May 3. All nine men's programs and each of the 10 women's teams will compete.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.