ST. LOUIS – Just one week into the 2019-20 indoor track & field season, the Redbirds have already begun raking in the awards after sweeping the Missouri Valley Conference Track Athlete of the Week honors. Senior Jack Anstey and sophomore Tori Ortiz earned the week one awards after both student-athletes posted impressive performances on the track at their respective meets.
Anstey, who has already earned one MVC weekly award this year during cross country season, has now received eight weekly honors from the Valley. The Newtown Toowoomba, Australia native, earned the award after posting a personal-best time of 8:16.89 to win the 3,000-meter run at the GVSU Holiday Open.
His time is the top time in the Valley and 28 seconds faster than the next fastest runner in the event. Anstey's time is the fourth-fastest 3K time in the NCAA and is just over a second out of the third-place spot. Additionally, Anstey's time is ninth on the ISU Indoor Top-10 list.
Ortiz opened her sophomore season with three first-place finishes, winning the 60-meter dash and the 400-meter dash individually, and helping the 4x400-meter relay to victory at the EIU Early Bird.
A native of Batavia, Illinois, Ortiz recorded personal-best times in both the 60m and the 400m, clocking in at 7.65 seconds in the 60-meter prelims and 56.40* seconds in the 400m.
Ortiz currently has the fastest 400m time and second-fastest 60m time in the Valley. Her times rank 20th (400m) and 55th (60m) in the NCAA, respectively. Additionally, the 4x400-meter relay team she competed with owns the second-fastest time in the MVC at 3:58.40*.
The MVC weekly award is the first of Ortiz's career.
*indicates converted time
UP NEXT
The 'Birds will host Indiana State for the annual Coughlan-Malloy Cup on Friday, Jan. 17 inside Horton Field House.
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