NEWS & NOTES: CWU women enter top 25; Mehra moves to Beasts; Olympic T&F champs to get cash awards...
Leading our news and notes, both Central Washington and Western Washington are in the top 25 in the latest edition of the USTFCCCA Division II National Track and Field Rating Index released this week.
The Wildcats make the top 25 for the first time this season, coming in at number 23, while Western Washington drops four spots from number 21 to 25.
Central should have been in the top 25 when last week's index was released, as a number of marks from previous meets were not factored in.
Wildcats in the top 10 on the NCAA Division II list include E'lexis Hollis in the 100 meters (11.45w) at number 7; Ellie DeGroot (CWU Athletics photo), who is ranked number 8 in the 400 hurdles at 61.03, and number 10 in the heptathlon with 4881 points; and 100m hurdler Lauryn Chandler at number 10 at 13.95.
The nation's top women's D2 teams are in order: Pittsburg State, West Texas A&M, Grand Valley State, Angelo State, and Adams State.
Central and Western are the only two GNAC teams in the national top 25.
No GNAC schools are in the men's Division II national top 25 index.
MEHRA MOVES TO BROOKS BEASTS...
About a week after she announced leaving Oiselle, Seattle resident and Stanford alum Rebecca Mehra (Brooks Running photo) announced that she will be competing for the Brooks Beasts.
Mehra, who was previously coached by the husband and wife team of Bob and Sarah Lesko, was training with the Beasts for the early part of 2024, and actually accompanied the Beasts on their annual winter altitude training stint in Albuquerque.
In a release from Brooks, she said, “It’s been such a blast to train with the Beasts the past few months, and I am honored to now officially be a part of the group. Training with the team every day makes me feel confident and joyful, and it renews my sense of competitive spirit. I’m looking forward to bringing all of that into this special Olympic year as a Beast!”
WORLD ATHLETICS TO AWARD OLYMPIC CHAMPS CASH PRIZES...
In addition to the prestige of winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer, World Athletics announced that all Olympic champions in track and field, plus all winning relay teams will receive $50,000 US dollars.
This initiative by World Athletics also includes a firm commitment to extend the prize money at a tiered level, to Olympic silver and bronze medal winners at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe commented: "The introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medallists is a pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole, underscoring our commitment to empowering the athletes and recognizing the critical role they play in the success of any Olympic Games."
The payment of prize money will depend upon the World Athletics ratification process, including athletes undergoing and clearing the usual anti-doping procedures. Each individual Olympic champion will receive US$50,000. Relay teams will receive the same amount, to be shared among the team. The format and structure of the LA28 Olympic bonuses will be announced nearer the time.
NOTE: The USTFCCCA, Brooks Running, and World Athletics contributed to this report.
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