INDIANAPOLIS – University of Southern Indiana senior Michael Jordan and Missouri S&T sophomore Joe Vellella have been named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week, it was announced by the league on Wednesday.
Jordan ran a school record, GLVC-leading, and NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 8:50.49 in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif., last Thursday evening. He doubled back on Friday morning to run a NCAA provisional mark and GLVC season-best time of 3:50.07 in the 1,500-meter event at Azusa Pacific.
The Indianapolis, Ind., native earns the third weekly honor of his outdoor career as he was also recognized by the conference as Track Athlete of the Week on April 3, 2013 and April 27, 2010.
Vellella finished second at the ninth annual Dewey Allgood Invitational at S&T's Allgood-Bailey Stadium with a mark of 55.09 meters in the hammer throw. The Piasa, Ill., native recorded a provisional qualifying mark with his runner-up heave and currently ranks second among GLVC throwers and 28th in the national rankings.
This is the first career weekly award for Vellella, who becomes the first Miner to earn GLVC Field Athlete of the Week since Dan Hellwig on May 1, 2012.