Hasay, Theisen Named National Athletes of the Year
Jordan Hasay and Brianne Theisen have been named women’s national athletes of the year by the The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) after leading Oregon to the 2011 NCAA Indoor national title. It is the first time a Duck has captured either women’s award.
National Women’s Track Athlete of the Year
Jordan Hasay, Oregon
Hasay, a sophomore from Arroyo Grande, Calif., would lead Oregon to a national team title with a meet-high 22 points, scoring individual national crowns in the mile and 3000 meters and as anchor of the Ducks’ runner-up DMR squad. Hasay became the fifth overall and first to win the national mile-3k double since Northern Arizona’s Johanna Nilsson in 2006. Hasay won the mile at the NCAA Championships in a personal-best and school record 4:33.01, a mark that is among the all-time top ten of American collegians. In the 3000, Hasay outlasted Villanova’s Sheila Reid with a 9:13.71 run to avenge a previous head-to-head loss to Reid in the DMR the night before.
Hasay clocked a 9:05.42 season’s best in the 3000 at the UW Invitational in January. Hasay was also the mile champ at the MPSF Championships.
Recent Winners:
2011: Jordan Hasay, Oregon
2010: Francena McCorory, Hampton
2009: Jenny Barringer, Colorado
2008: Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech
2007: Kerron Stewart, Auburn
2006: Johanna Nilsson, Northern Arizona
National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year
Brianne Theisen, Oregon
Theisen, a senior from Humboldt, Saskatchewan, twice set the collegiate record in the pentathlon in 2011 and won her second-straight NCAA crown in the event. Her score of 4,540 bettered her previous all-time collegiate best mark of 4,507 set in January at the UW Invitational and ranked among the world’s top five in the event for the season. Theisen would earn personal bests 8.35 in the 60 meter hurdles, of 6-½ (1.84m) in the high jump and 2:11.82 in the 800 meters en route to this season’s national crown. The 60 hurdles and high jump marks are also Oregon indoor school records. Additionally, Theisen scored at the NCAA meet for the second-straight year as a member of Oregon’s 4×400 relay team.
At the MPSF Championships, Theisen sat out the pentathlon, but competed in four other events, including leading-off the Ducks 4×400 to victory, placing second in the high jump, and third in the 60-meter hurdles.
Recent Winners:
2011: Brianne Theisen, Oregon
2010: Blessing Okagbare, UTEP
2009: Destinee Hooker, Texas
2008: Jacquelyn Johnson, Arizona State
2007: Brittany Riley, Southern Illinois
2006: Chelsea Johnson, UCLA
Updated 03-16-2011
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