Feb. 11, 2013
SEATTLE - On the heels of one of the best heptathlon performances in NCAA history, senior Jeremy Taiwo was named the National Athlete of the Week today by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Taiwo moved to No. 3 in NCAA history and No. 7 in U.S. history with his 6,156 point total over two days last weekend in Nampa, Idaho. This is the first year that the USTFCCCA has given national weekly honors, making Taiwo the first Husky to earn the award. Given to six collegiate track and field athletes (male and female for each of the three NCAA divisions), the National Athlete of the Week 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. Honorable mentions went to Marvin Bracy of Florida State, Kennedy Kithuka of Texas Tech, David Verburg of George Mason, Derek Drouin of Indiana, Michael Woepse of UCLA, and Marquis Dendy of Florida. Taiwo (Renton, Wash.) was competing in his first multi-event since the 2011 NCAA Outdoor meet, after surgeries on his elbow and hips kept him out in 2012. The Newport H.S. product proved to be back and better than ever at the Boise State Team Challenge, rolling to a number of PRs on day one, including a 7.02 60-meter dash, a long jump of 24-4 ¼, a shot put of 46-6 ¼, and then to top it off, Taiwo high jumped a remarkable 7-4 ½, a new World Record for a heptathlon high jump. His high jump record broke the mark of 7-4¼ (2.24m) held by Scott Sellers (2007) and Nick Ross (2011). Saturday, he came back to PR in the 60m hurdles (8.08) then clear 13-11 ¼ in the pole vault and win the 1,000-meters in 2:34.44. Taiwo's overall score is the fifth-best in collegiate history. The top three marks are held by 2012 Olympic decathlon gold medalist Ashton Eaton, with 2012 silver medalist Trey Hardee holding the fourth-best mark, putting Taiwo in great company. He set personal-bests in five of the seven components, including a five-inch PR in his exceptional high jump performance. His overall score places him seventh in US history in the heptathlon. The 6,156 total was also a Jackson Track facility record, and shattered his previous school record of 5,780 points. Taiwo's 60m hurdles time ties for seventh in school history, his long jump ties for sixth in school history, and his high jump is the second-best all-time at Washington, indoors or out, trailing only Husky Hall of Famer Rick Noji. |
