NEW ORLEANS – We’ve reached the end of the road when it comes to National Athlete of the Week in two of the three NCAA divisions (NCAA Division I and NCAA Division III) and both NJCAA divisions.
Here are those athletes who stood out the most from their peers during the opening weekend of the postseason and were named National Athletes of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday.
- NCAA Division I Men – James Sugira, Eastern Kentucky
- NCAA Division I Women – Jessica Pascoe, Florida
- NCAA Division II Men – Baron Freeman, Saint Augustine’s
- NCAA Division II Women – Kendall Fitzgerald, Post
- NCAA Division III Men – Eric Herrmann, Dickinson
- NCAA Division III Women – Sophia Gorman, Colby
- NJCAA Division I Men – Andrew Kibet, Hutchinson CC
- NJCAA Division I Women – Abeba Sullivan, Iowa Central
- NJCAA Division III Men – Jared Craw, Hudson Valley CC
- NJCAA Division III Women – Mercedes Planavsky, Hudson Valley CC
NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Jared Craw, Hudson Valley CC
Freshman | Colonie, New York
Jared Craw captured his second consecutive National Athlete of the Week honor after he picked up a win at the NJCAA Region III meet this past weekend. Craw won the individual crown with a 30:38.4 performance as he paced his team to the meet team title. The freshman is the only male from Hudson Valley to earn a National Athlete of the Week selection.
NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Mercedes Planavsky, Hudson Valley CC
Sophomore | Ballston Spa, New York
Mercedes Planavsky earned a National Athlete of the Week nod after winning the NJCAA Region III meet. The sophomore recorded a time of 21:13.2 as she paced her team to the meet title. Planavsky is the first female athlete picked as a National Athlete of the Week in program history.