Record-Breaking Trio Honored by ASUN
3/31/2021 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Three Liberty track & field athletes who broke records at the Texas Relays garnered ASUN Conference weekly awards on Wednesday. The honorees included Diamantae Griffin (Men's Track Athlete of the Week), John Hicks (Men's Freshman of the Week) and Chelsea Igberaese (Women's Field Athlete of the Week).
A sprinter from Jackson, Miss., Griffin earned his first ASUN weekly honor, sharing it with Shane Streich of Lipscomb. Griffin clocked a 100 dash time of 10.19 that broke Jacob Swinton's school record (10.20) which had stood for 27 years. He also placed seventh in the 200 final with a personal-best 20.88 clocking. That mark ranks No. 1 in the ASUN, No. 21 nationally and No. 4 all-time at Liberty.
A thrower from Romney, W.Va., Hicks has now captured back-to-back ASUN Men's Freshman of the Week awards and three overall for his career. This is the third straight week he has been honored by the ASUN overall, as Hicks was also tabbed the Men's Field Athlete of the Week on March 17.
Hicks placed 11th in the men's hammer with a Liberty freshman-record 200-2 effort. He became the second Flame ever to throw over 200 feet and the first to do so in 13 years. Hicks' mark tops the ASUN list by 20 feet and ranks No. 40 nationally (eighth among freshmen) this season.
A thrower from Dacula, Ga., Igberaese is now a back-to-back ASUN Women's Field Athlete of the Week. She has won the award five times in 2021 and six times in her career.
Igberaese competed in three events at the Texas Relays, posting season-best marks in each of them. She placed eighth in Section A of the women's discus (167-11), 10th in the women's hammer (193-8) and 10th in Section B of the women's shot put (45-5.25). Her hammer mark set an ASUN all-time record and ranks No. 52 nationally. Igberaese's discus effort ranks No. 1 in the ASUN and No. 38 nationally this season.
Hicks and Igberaese will next compete at the VertKlasse Meeting, Thursday and Friday in High Point, N.C. Some of their distance running teammates will race at the Sound Running College Invite, Friday in Irvine, Calif.
