Barker Named NWC Track Athlete Of The Week
The junior is honored for winning her second straight conference heptathlon title and for setting a new national best in the javelin
FOREST GROVE - A second straight Northwest Conference championship
in the heptathlon and a personal and national best in the javelin gave
Pacific's Brooke Barker (Jr., Eugene, Ore.) the credentials needed to
win the NWC's Women's Track Athlete of the Week award.
The honor, voted upon by the conference's sports information directors, was announced in the conference's weekly news release on Monday night.
Barker rolled easily to her second straight conference title in the heptathlon, which was contested last Monday and Tuesday at Linfield College. Barker's score of 4,418 points was 500 points better than second place Riley Bernard of Linfield. Barker won three of the discipline's seven events, including the shot put, 200 meters and the javelin.
In winning the javelin, Barker surpassed teammate DeeDee Arnall (Sr., Warrenton, Ore.) for the best mark this season at the Division III level with a personal best throw of 153 feet, 10 inches. The throw automatically qualifies Barker for the NCAA Division III Championships in the event.
In addition, Barker has provisionally qualified for the Division III Championships in the heptathlon with her season best of 4,444 points. The total is currently the fifth best this season in Division III.
Barker's 10 team points for the heptathlon championship will carry over to the Northwest Conference Track & Field Championships, which take place Friday and Saturday at Willamette's Charles Bowles Track.
Barker, was the 2005 championship's Outstanding Female Athlete of the Meet and the defending champion in the 200 meters and 400 meters. She is qualified for six individual events and will compete in the javelin, shot put, 200 meters, 400 meters and as part of Pacific's 400-meter and 1,600-meter relay teams. Barker ranks first in the NWC in the javelin and fifth in the shot put and the 200 meters.
Posted by Blake Timm (timmbr@pacificu.edu) on Apr 18, 2006 at 1:32 PM
