Jan. 22, 2013

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Air Force freshman Dylan Bell and San Diego State junior Shanieka Thomas have earned Mountain West Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors for meets contested from Jan. 17-20. It is the first MW weekly honor of the season for Thomas and the second of her career. For Bell, it is his first MW weekly accolade.

Bell, a native of Alvarado, Texas, placed third in the pole vault at the National Pole Vault Summit on Jan. 19 in Reno, Nev. His career-best vault of 17'-4.50'' (5.30m) ranks second in the Mountain West and 10th in the NCAA. The vault ranks fifth on Air Force's all-time list, and is a personal improvement of eight inches.

Thomas, from Clarendon, Jamaica, won the triple jump at the Cherry and Silver Invitational on Jan. 19 in Albuquerque, N.M. Her winning jump of 44'-2.50'' (13.47m) ranks first in the Mountain West and the NCAA. Thomas took fourth in the long jump with a distance of 19'-2.50'' (5.85), which is the second-best long jump in the MW. She was also a member of the Aztecs' 4x400-meter relay team that finished fourth in a time of 3:50.26.

2012-13 Mountain West Men's Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week
Dec. 11 - Jordin Andrade, Jr., Boise State
Jan. 15 - Joey Uhle, So., Air Force
Jan. 22 - Dylan Bell, Fr., Air Force

2012-13 Mountain West Women's Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week
Dec. 11 - Emma Bates, So., Boise State
Jan. 15 - Amber Menke, Sr., New Mexico
Jan. 22 - Shanieka Thomas, Jr., San Diego State

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