Benkert, Drake Win Men’s T&F Weekly Awards

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brennan Benkert (Missouri Southern) and Tyler Drake (Pittsburg State) have been named MIAA Men's Track & Field Student-Athletes of the Week for the week of April 12-18, as selected by a conference SID panel. Benkert and Drake are both first-time honorees in 2010.

MIAA MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Brennan Benkert, Sr., Missouri Southern
Benkert, competing at the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays at Mt. San Antonio College, finished fifth in the 10,000 meters in a time of 30:03.57. The time is a provisional-qualifying mark and breaks the previous MSSU record of 30:30.45 set by Paul Koehler at the Drake Relays in 2004. The time is tops in the MIAA this year and is fourth-best in Division II.

MIAA MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Tyler Drake, Jr., Pittsburg State
Drake posted the top mark in NCAA Division II to date this season with a third-place performance in the javelin at the Kansas Relays. He unleashed a throw of 230-feet, 2-inches to post the nation's top mark by nearly 10 feet (220-6 is 2nd-best mark). The Valley Center, Kan, native placed third in the event at KU, behind an NCAA Division I and an NJCAA athlete. Drake's mark is the second-best in school history in the discipline. He posted the impressive mark after being sidelined two weeks with a shoulder injury.

2009-10 MIAA Men's Track & Field Student-Athletes of the Week
1/18 - Track: Derwin Hall, So., ESU; Field: Josh Honeycutt, Jr., ESU
1/25 - Track: Frank Grant, Jr., Sr., SBU; Field: Brian Allen, Sr., PSU
2/1 - Track: Darius Walker, So., UCM; Field: Drew Frizzell, Jr., UCM
2/8 - Track: Josh Schuler, Jr., ESU; Field: Drew Frizzell, Jr., UCM
2/15 - Track: Jeremy Jackson, Sr., PSU; Field: Kiara Jones, Jr., PSU
2/22 - Track: Jeremy Jackson, Sr., PSU; Field: Drew Frizzell, Jr., UCM
3/30 - Track: Jeremy Glassmaker, Sr., SBU; Field: Darius Walker, So., UCM
4/5 - Track: Josh Schuler, Jr., ESU; Field: Brian Allen, Sr., PSU
4/12 - Track: Jeremy Jackson, Sr., PSU; Field: Kiara Jones, Jr., PSU
4/21 - Track: Brennan Benkert, Sr., MSSU; Field: Tyler Drake, Jr., PSU