Tweet #theGAC  RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the Women’s and Men’s Track & Field athletes of the week for the seventh week of the outdoor season. Oklahoma Baptist’s Mary McKey and Jade Byrd won the Women’s awards. The Bison’s Alexander Schovanec and Harding’s Dakarai Bush garnered the Men’s honors.

#theGAC WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Mary McKey, Jr., Oklahoma Baptist, Edmond, Oklahoma
McKey repeated as Track Athlete of the Week after she again registered an NCAA provisional time in the 400-meter hurdles. She ran a winning 1:01.67 at the John Jacobs Invitational. She took sixth in the 100 hurdles and ran the anchor legs of both relays. The 4x100 team finished second and the 4x400 squad placed third.

#theGAC WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jade Byrd, So., Oklahoma Baptist, Stratford, Oklahoma
Byrd broke the school record in the discus of 47.03 meters when he uncorked a throw of 49.93 meters at the John Jacobs Invitational. She placed fifth in the event, first amongst Division II competitors. She earned an NCAA provisional mark as the throw ranks fourth in the country. Additionally, her hammer throw of 43.89 meters ranks as the fourth-best in the conference.

theGAC MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Dakarai Bush, Sr., Harding, Tatum, Texas
Bush won the 400 meters at the John McDonnell Invitational in 46.00 seconds, an NCAA provisional time that broke his own school record of 46.60 set earlier this season. His time ranks as the second-fastest in Division II this season, trailing only 45.87 by George Garcia of Lubbock Christian.

#theGAC MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Alexander Schovanec, Jr., Oklahoma Baptist, Tecumseh, Oklahoma
Schovanec competed in three events at the John Jacobs Invitational - discus, shot put and hammer. His discus throw of 52.40 meters represented a personal best, earned him an NCAA provisional mark and ranked 14th in the country. His 16.11-meter effort in the shot put gave him the top effort in the GAC. He finished 16th in the hammer throw.

OTHERS NOMINATED

Hannah Appleton, Jr. (Northwestern Oklahoma State)

Parker Ables, So. (Oklahoma Baptist), Dylan Dew, Fr. (Ouachita Baptist)