April 1, 2008

IRVING, Texas - For the second consecutive week, a university has swept Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week honors. UTEP's Blessing Okagbare and Mickael Hanany have been selected this week's award winners after posting a pair of world ranking performances at the Springtime Invitational in El Paso, Texas last weekend.

C-USA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD NOTEBOOK & TOP PERFORMANCES - APRIL 1

Okagbare, C-USA's Indoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year, recorded an all-conditions, world-best mark of 6.14m (22-3) in the long jump, while Hanany jumped the world's best mark in the high jump at 2.31m (7-07"). Hanany, a senior, redshirted the 2007 outdoor season.

Rice swept last week's awards.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
MICKAEL HANANY, UTEP
Senior, Long & High Jumps, Cergy, France
After redshirting the 2007 outdoor season, Hanany made a comeback by posting two personal-best marks in his events at the Springtime Invitational hosted by UTEP last weekend. He jumped the world's best mark of the year in the high jump for gold at 2.31m (7-07"), tying the Kidd Field record. Hanany also posted a regional-qualifying and C-USA season-best mark of 8.03m (26-4.25"), putting him ahead of legend Bob Beamon for second in the UTEP record books.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
BLESSING OKAGBARE, UTEP
Sophomore, Long, Jump, Sapele, Kenya
In her first outdoor track and field meet as a Miner, Okagbare jumped an all-conditions, world-best mark of 6.14m (22-3) in the long jump for gold as the Miners hosted the Springtime Invitational last weekend. The regional-qualifying mark is also a new UTEP and Kidd Field record.

2008 C-USA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
March 25
Male - Jason Colwick, Rice
Female - Desarie Walwyn, Rice

April 1
Male - Mickael Hanany, UTEP
Female - Blessing Okagbare, UTEP