Murray State University Athletics
Dial, Jones Named OVC Track and Field Athletes of the Week
2/5/2008 6:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
Senior Shameka Dial and freshman Katelyn Jones were recognized as Track and Field Athletes of the Week today by the Ohio Valley Conference for the week ending Feb. 3.
Dial shared Female Co-Field Athlete of the Week with Tanesha Campbell of Tennessee State, while Jones shared Female Co-Track Athlete of the Week with Stephanie Place of Tennessee Tech.
The honors cap off a successful weekend for the Racers, where they broke four school records at the Indiana Relays in Bloomington, Ind. on Feb. 1-2.
Dial, from Murray, set a new school record in the 20-pound weight throw with her toss of 56'08.25" (17.28 meters). Just moments earlier, Racer senior Dominique Robinson had broken her own school record in the 20-pound weight throw with a toss of 54'10" (16.53 meters), before Dial bested that record by 0.75 meters.
With her record-breaking toss, Dial now holds the longest throw in the Ohio Valley Conference so far in the 2008 indoor season.
A Rockport, Ind. native, Jones took part in two broken school records over the weekend at the Indiana Relays. Her individual performance in the 3,000 meter run, a time of 9:56.01, bested the previous MSU record time of 10:06.54 set by Jackie Murzynowski in 1988.
Jones was also the back leg (1600 meters) of the MSU record-breaking distance medley relay, with a time of 12:12.13. The relay team of Taylor Crawford (1,200 meters), Brandy Williams (400 meters), Meagan Richeson (800 meters), and Jones broke the previous record of 12:32.12 set by Kristen Heckert, Jessica Nauta, Trista Curtis, and Lauren Wilson in 2006.
Both times (3,000 Meter Run and Distance Medley Relay) are the best times posted in the
"I'm very excited," said MSU track and field head coach Dereck Chavis. "Both of these girls earned the honors by putting in all the work. I'm glad their hard work came into fruition."
This announcement marks the first time ever that a Murray State duo has won both the OVC track and OVC field athletes of the week during the same week.
"It's an excellent accomplishment individually," Chavis said. "But for our program, it's a great accomplishment as well."
The Racers are back in action this weekend, traveling to the McDonald's Invitational in Carbondale, Ill., hosted by Southern Illinois University. The meet will take place on Feb. 8-9.
