Cvitanovic Named Field MOP at AAC Championship

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From SMUMustangs.com:

Cvitanovic Named Field MOP; SMU Boasts Four Medalists on Final Day of AAC Championships
Seven different Mustangs Medal during AAC Championships

ORLANDO, Fla. (SMU) — SMU senior Lucija Cvitanovic was named the American Athletic Conference Championship Most Outstanding Field Performer, in light of her heptathlon victory and runner-up honor in the javelin during the 2016 AAC Championships at the UCF Soccer and Track Complex. As a whole, the SMU track and field team had seven different medalists in eight different events.

Four Mustangs reached the podium Sunday, earning a gold, two silver and a bronze medal.

Junior Tochi Nlemchi earned SMU's second gold medal of the championships using a lifetime-best 16.76-meter throw. The PR hurl is the fourth farthest shot put throw in SMU history and is both the AAC meet and stadium record. She now ranks 11th on the NCAA western region outdoor qualifying list and is No.1 in the AAC in 2016. This is her second All-Conference honor.

Holly Archer and Latessa Johnson both earned silver medals in their respective events. In the 1,500m run, Archer ran a 4:27.00 to earn her second All-Conference honor. In the 200m dash, Johnson clocked the second-fastest 200m time in SMU history, a 23.06, to earn her first All-Conference honor. She now owns the top-two fastest times in program history. Later in the day, Archer finished seventh with a 2:17.56 mark in the 800m run, before Johnson finished sixth in the 100m dash, clocking an 11.58.

Craishia Washington brought home the bronze medal and ran into the SMU record book for the second consecutive day, recording the second-fastest time, an 11.49, in the 100m dash. The senior now owns the second-, third- and fourth-fastest times in program history and is a three-time All-AAC honoree. The Houston, Texas, native has the 32nd fastest time on the NCAA western regional outdoor qualifying list.

In the 5,000m run, senior Michelle Gaye led the Mustangs finishing sixth with a 17:05.53 mark. Fellow senior Karoline Skatteboe used a 17:11.18 to finish eighth. Shanoah Souza, Anneke Grogan, Agnes Sjostrom and Justine Anthony all finished in the top 20, checking in at 12th, 15th, 17th, and 20th, respectively, before Rebekah Bosler and Cassidy Webber finished 31st and 33rd, respectively.

Sophomore Jacquetta Cannon PR'd in the shot put with a 15.22-meter throw. Cannon finished seventh overall.

In the high jump, Cvitanovic finished 10th, clearing 1.66m. Freshman Hannah Cogsil set a collegiate-best clearing 1.66m. She finished 12th.

SMU finished sixth overall with 89 points. Cincinnati won the championship with 111 points, UCF was runner-up with 98 points and Connecticut rounded out the top three with 97 points.

Qualifying Mustangs will compete in the NCAA West Regional in Lawrence, Kan. The three-day event runs from Thursday, May 26 to Saturday, May 28. For each individual event contested at each of the Preliminary Round sites, the top 48 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the competition. For each relay event, the top 24 declared relay teams will be accepted into the competition. Combined events (Heptathlon and Decathlon), are not contested at the Preliminary Round sites.

Medalists and All-Conference Honorees:
Heptathlon: Lucija Cvitanovic -- First Place
Javelin: Lucija Cvitanovic -- Second Place
Shot Put: Tochi Nlemchi -- First Place
100m Dash: Craishia Washington -- Third Place
200m Dash: Latessa Johnson -- Second Place
1,500m Run: Holly Archer -- Second Place
3,000m Steeplechase: Karoline Skatteboe -- Second Place
10,000m Run: Michelle Gaye -- Third Place