WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. ââ'¬" Savannah Carson was named the women's Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week, the conference office announced Wednesday. Carson matched her personal record in the long jump with a conference-leading mark that ranks eighth nationally.
Carson competed at the Tyson Invitational, hosted by the University of Arkansas, over the weekend. She needed three attempts to match her personal best, the No. 2 mark in school history, of 6.41 meters (21-0.50). That mark was good enough to hold off the No. 2 and No. 3 jumpers in the Big Ten, Jahisha Thomas of Iowa and Tierra Williams of Nebraska. Williams was the Big Ten champion a year ago.
The award is Carson's second of her career and her first this season. She is the first Boilermaker to win the women's field athlete of the week honor since Janae' Moffitt was honored Dec. 14 for her efforts in the season opener. Devynne Charlton was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week on Jan. 11.
Carson is done competing until the Big Ten Championships on Feb. 24 and 25. A small group of Boilermakers will make the trip to the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame this weekend for one last tune-up.