IRVING, Texas – For the second time this indoor season, a UTSA track & field athlete has been recognized for American Athletic Conference weekly honors. But this week, the Roadrunners went big after a highly-successful outing at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. – with UTSA three athletes netting weekly awards. Officials from the American Athletic Conference office announced on Tuesday that UTSA freshman long jumper Ida Breigan has been named the AAC’s Women’s Field Athlete of the Week for the second time this season, while junior Gabriel Binion was named AAC Men’s Field Co-Athlete of the Week and junior Mike Roth received AAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week accolades.
For her second time this indoor season, and her collegiate career, competing in the long jump, Breigan blew away more records out in New Mexico. The Fredrikstad, Norway rookie reached 6.52m (21-4.75) on her fourth jump, not only surpassing her own UTSA and AAC records, but notching a new Norwegian Indoor National Record, last set by two-time Olympian Berit Berthelsen on March 12, 1967. The record-breaking leap extended Breigan’s lead in the AAC’s top position and registered as the sixth-best jump in the nation this season. This is her second American Athletic Conference weekly honor in two attempts of her primary event.
Binion continues to turn in top-notch performances this indoor season and his Don Kirby meet results again met that standard, securing the AAC’s top long jump mark with a second-place leap of 7.77m (25-6) on his first jump to set the UTSA record with the 18th-best jump in the NCAA on Friday. Returning to action on Saturday, the Sydney, Australia athlete won the triple jump with a 15.86m (52-0.5) leap, just shy of his current second-ranked AAC mark. This is his first American Athletic Conference weekly honor.
Rounding out the trio of honorees, Roth moved up the charts in the AAC with a league-leading 46.34 400-meter race in Albuquerque, breaking his own school record on a third-place finish in the event, moving up to 27th nationally. Originally hailing from St. Thomas, Ontario, Roth also finished eighth in the 200-meter with a 21.24. This is his first American Athletic Conference weekly honor.
With a week of rest looming and no competitions on the schedule, UTSA now turns attention to the program’s inaugural appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championships, coming up in Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 23-24 at the Birmingham Crossplex.
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