RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Oklahoma Baptist men's and women's track and field teams combined to sweep the Great American Conference weekly awards after impressive performances at the Corky/Crofoot Invitational.
Olivia Tate and Flora Dupans claimed the track and field awards on the women's side, while Matthew Higdon and Jentezen Smith garnered nods for the men.
Tate, a freshman sprinter, takes home her third weekly recognition of the season after running a personal-best time of 23.80 in the 200m dash. The time finished third and met the NCAA DII standard as the 19th-fastest time in the country. Furthermore, it is the best time in the GAC.
Tate also ran the second leg on the 4x100 relay and first leg on the 4x400 squad. The teams posted season-best times, earning third and fourth place, respectively.
Dupans, also a freshman, earns the first GAC honor of her career. The Argentinian placed fourth in the discus with a personal-best heave of 48.31m (158-6). It was the second-furthest throw in program history and ranked 11th in the nation. Additionally, Dupans recorded a 14th-place finish in the shot put (12.87m, 42-2.75).
Higdon broke his school record in the hammer with a 60.57m (198-9) heave that earned fifth overall. The throw is the 12th-furthest in the country. He set the previous program-best mark, 59.97m (196-9), a season ago.
Higdon also competed in the shot put, where he placed eighth with a hurl of 12.19m (40-0).
Smith, a sophomore from Edmond, Okla., collects his first career conference recognition after turning in the GAC's best time in the 400m hurdles (53.26). The time placed fourth and was a personal best. Smith also ran the second leg on the 4x400 and 4x100 relay squads.
OBU returns to action on Thursday for the start of the Great American Conference Championships in Searcy, Ark.
