UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State track & field's Jean Starr was awarded Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Week honors for her career-best performance in the hammer throw at the Jim Thorpe Invitational, the Big Ten announced Wednesday.
Starr, a recent Penn State graduate with a degree in engineering science, set the fifth-best mark in school history in the hammer throw on Friday at the Jim Thorpe Invitational. Her throw of 192-9 (58.75m) is the eighth-best mark in the Big Ten this season as she prepares for competition in the conference championship meet.
This season, Starr has taken a major step forward, with her most recent throw over nine meters further than her best effort from 2022. This is the first Big Ten athlete of the week award in Starr's career and her stellar mark in the last meet of the regular season bodes well as the Nittany Lions prepare for the Big Ten Outdoor Championships this coming weekend.
The award is the seventh Big Ten Track & Field athlete of the week honor for the Nittany Lions through indoor and outdoor track. In addition to Starr, Olivier Desmeules has earned men's track recognition twice this year with Handal Roban racking up an additional track award. Cecelia Bacon, Mallory Kauffman, and Tyler Merkley each have collected one apiece on the field side.
PENN STATE'S 2022-23 BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
May 10 – Jean Starr – Throws – Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
April 12 - Handal Roban - Middle-Distance - Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
March 29 – Cecelia Bacon – Jumps – Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
March 22 – Tyler Merkley – Throws – Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
Feb. 1 – Olivier Desmeules – Middle-Distance – Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Dec. 14 – Olivier Desmeules – Middle-Distance – Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Dec. 7 - Mallory Kauffman – Throws – Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
LOOKING AHEAD
The Nittany Lions travel to Bloomington, Ind. this week for the Big Ten Outdoor Championships from Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 14.
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