King Earns UNI Track and Field MVC Male Athlete of the week for the second week

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Darius King named UNI track and field's fourth Missouri Valley Conference Male Field Athlete of the Week honors of the season. King earns this spot for the third time this season and second time this month.

King took first place and set a personal best in the shot put at the Badgers St. Valentines Invitational with a throw of 20.30 meters (66'7.25"). King has held the top spot in the Missouri Valley Conference in the shot put for the entire season and has pulled a lead of 1.30 meters above second place with this throw. King moved his previous season mark of 19.67 meters, thrown twice at the Husker Invitational and the Iowa State Classic, that sat him 12th in the nation, and moved back to sixth in the nation with the 20.30 meter toss.

King also moved his previous personal best of 20.14 meters set in the Gibson Invitational in the spring of 2021, making a .16 meter improvement. King also breaks his own previous indoor record of 20.06 meters in UNI history in the shot put, now setting the UNI record at 20.30 meters.

\King is a returning three-time NCAA qualifier who competed in the 2020 Olympic Trials. King finished 12th at the Trials with a throw of 19.66 meters. King's personal best throw is 20.14 meters, set at the Gibson Invitational in April of 2021.

He holds three MVC shot put Champion titles and a total of 10 MVC honors. King holds the UNI shot put record indoors with a throw of 20.30 meters and holds the record outdoors with a throw of 20.14 meters. King also holds the MVC Championship Indoor meet record in the shot put.

The Panthers turn the curve and head to Chicago, Illinois on Sunday Feb. 27 and 28 for the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Loyola University.

OTHERS

Male Track -
Isaac Basten, Jr., Buffalo, Minn. (Drake)
Isaac Basten completed the 1-mile run invitational in 3:56.10 inside the Randal Tyson Track Center on Friday (Feb. 18) to not only win the event against top competition and set the meet record at the Arkansas Qualifier, but also break an indoor school and MVC record. The previous indoor program record (3:56.60) was set by teammate Adam Fogg at the Cyclone Open earlier this season. The sub-4 mile feat was accomplished by Basten for the third time this season.

Honorable Mention: Riley Wells (Illinois State), Craig Becker (UNI), Luigi Rivas (Indiana State), J.J. Pedersen (Evansville)

Female Track -
Madison Meredith, Sr./Gr., Birmingham, Mich. (MSU)
Meredith placed second in the 60-meter dash at the competitive Arkansas Qualifier, recording a time of 7.25 improving her time from last week. The mark was a lifetime best for Meredith, her second lifetime best in the event in two weeks' time. Also, for the second week in a row, her time of 7.25 beats the Missouri State record in the 60-meter dash of 7.26, which she previously set last week This time puts her at 15th on the NCAA national ranking list, up two spots from 17th last week. Meredith also competed in the 200-meter dash at the Arkansas Qualifier, recording a lifetime best of 24.01. She placed seventh in the event out of 24 talented sprinters.

Honorable Mention: Kameesha Smith (Illinois State), Tamia Rayford (Missouri State), Olivia Hubler (UNI), Mackenzie Patten (Valparaiso)

Female Field -
Selene Weaver, So., Pitsburg, Ohio (Indiana State)
Weaver became the first Sycamore to clear 4.00m in the pole vault in seven years when she accomplished the feat on her way to a first-place finish at the ISU Open. After passing on each of the first four heights, Weaver cleared 3.68m, 3.78m, 3.88m and 4.00m in straight succession. She was the only competitor in the field to clear 3.80m and led a Sycamore contingent that had each of the top four finishers in the event. Weaver's mark ranks sixth in program history and is also the top mark in the Valley this season, where she remains the only athlete in the conference to clear 3.80m.

Honorable Mention: Rachel Hickey (Illinois State), Katie Fare (UNI), Grace Aurand (Valparaiso)

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