FARMINGTON, Utah (February 17, 2020) – Northern Arizona junior
Luis Grijalva and senior
Mikayla Malaspina were named the Big Sky Men's and Women's Track Athletes of the Week respectively on Monday following their performances over the weekend.
For Grijalva, it is his fourth career Athlete of the Week award, but first for indoor track & field. It is also the third time this year that Grijalva has been honored by the conference office following two Cross Country Athlete of the Week nods in the fall.
Malaspina picks up her second career Big Sky Athlete of the Week award. She was named the Cross Country Athlete of the Week in 2017.
Grijalva set a new NAU and Big Sky Conference record – breaking former Lumberjack Diego Estrada's mark of 7:44.63 for both records – in the men's 3000m on Saturday at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational, posting a time of 7:43.73. His time earned his first-place overall in the event, and is the fastest-time in the country this season.
Furthermore, Grijalva's time of 7:43.73 is also the sixth-fastest time in the men's 3K by a collegiate runner ever.
Meanwhile on the other side of the country at the Husky Classic, Malaspina set a new personal-best in the women's 5000m with a time of 16:11.00. Malaspina crushed her previous best 5K time set during the 2017 outdoor season by more than 15 seconds and her previous best indoor 5K time by more than a minute.
Malaspina now ranks first in the conference in the women's 5000m and is the lone Lumberjack woman to rank in the top 50 nationally at No. 28 in the event.
