Top NAIA Performances Earn SXU's Mathis, ONU's Whitcraft Weekly Women's T&F Recognition

CHICAGO --- Top NAIA performances by Saint Xavier University's Olivia Mathis (Akron, Ohio) and Olivet Nazarene University's Haylee Whitcraft (Spring Hill, Kan.) have earned the pair Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference women's outdoor track & field weekly accolades, the league office announced on Thursday.

Mathis, the CCAC Track Athlete of the Week, was a part of the fastest 4x800-meter relay team in the NAIA this spring with their showing at the Drake Relays last Thursday.  The group placed first out of 16 teams, hitting the NAIA 'A' mark with their 9:00.87 time.

Mathis also won the 1,500-meter race two days later at the Olivet Nazarene University Outdoor Open on Saturday.  In that event, the senior outran 30 other competitors with her time of 4:44.60.

Whitcraft claimed CCAC Field Athlete of the Week accord by recording the second-best javelin throw in the NAIA this year at the Drake Relays on Saturday.  Her NAIA 'A' standard mark registered a distance of 44.35 meters.    

Other Track Nominees: Heidi Heldt (Olivet Nazarene), Caleya Holmes (Judson), Braylee Hyatt (Viterbo).

Other Field Nominees: Avery Poppe (Viterbo), Aayla-Marie Adams (Judson), Jamie Sierocki (Saint Xavier).