UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State track & field's Cheickna Traore was recognized as the Big Ten Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week, as announced by the conference on Wednesday.
Traore collects this week's award following an outstanding competition at Penn State's Sykes & Sabock Challenge on Saturday. In the 60-meter dash, the graduate student clocked a 6.64 to win the event, running just 0.01 off of his school-record 6.63 time. Traore then went on to anchor Penn State's 4x400 group, splitting 45.16 and taking Penn State to the finish line in 3:05.87. The 4x400 mark is the best in the Big Ten this season and ranks ninth in the nation.
The Linden, N.J. native earns his second Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week award this season in his first year with the Nittany Lions following an outstanding undergraduate career at Ramapo.
Penn State picks up its fifth Big Ten weekly award in 2024.
PENN STATE'S 2023-24 BIG TEN TRACK & FIELD WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Feb. 7 – Cheickna Traore – Sprints – Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Jan. 31 – Olivier Desmeules – Mid-Distance – Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Jan. 31 – Hayley Kitching – Mid-Distance – Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Jan. 24 – Hayley Kitching – Mid-Distance – Women's Indoor Co-Track Athlete of the Week
Jan. 17 – Cheickna Traore – Sprints – Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
LOOKING AHEAD
Traore and the rest of the Nittany Lions will split their squad this weekend, with members headed to Boston for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational and the Eagle Elite Invite while others go to Clemson for the Tiger Paw Invitational.