Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week

BYU's Robison and Mannova, Colorado State's Smith and San Diego State's Dyer take home honors

CSU's Loree Smith set a new MWC record in discus throw at the Nebraska Quadrangular in Lincoln, Neb. (57.11m).
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April 22, 2004

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - BYU junior Nathan Robison was named Mountain West Conference Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week, while BYU junior Michaela Mannova, Colorado State junior Loree Smith and San Diego State senior Tonette Dyer share the women's honor, marking the first time in the five-year history of the Mountain West Conference that a tri-Athlete of the Week was awarded in any sport.

Robison, a Provo, Utah, product, won his heat of the one-mile run at Mt. San Jacinto Community College's Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., last week in a career-best time of 3:40.59. His time is a NCAA regional qualifying mark and is the third fastest time in BYU school history.

Mannova, a Dvur Kralov, Czech Republic, native, finished third in the 5,000-meter run this past weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays in a NCAA regional qualifying time of 15:49.79. Her mark is a new BYU school record and a new MWC record, breaking former Cougar All-American Elizabeth Jackson's time of 15:50.52 set in June of 2001 in Eugene, Ore. Mannova's time is also currently sixth in the country.

Smith, a native of Julesburg, Colo., won the hammer and finished second in the discus throw, setting a new conference record in the process, at the Nebraska Quadrangular in Lincoln, Neb. last weekend. In the hammer throw, she recorded a distance of 208'-4" (63.51m), placing her second all-time in the Mountain West. Her mark of 187'-4" (57.11m) is an MWC all-time best and placed her second in the discus throw behind nation-leading Becky Breisch of Nebraska, currently ranking fourth-best in the nation.

Dyer, from Shreveport, La., won the 400 meters at the Mt. Sac Relays., posting the second-fastest time in SDSU history as well as the third fastest time in the nation at 51.53. She is just the second Aztec to ever break the 52-second mark in the 400 meters, falling only .20 seconds behind the Aztec school record of 51.33, set Renee Ross in 1985. The 51.53 mark was also a career-best by 0.83 seconds and is a Mountain West Conference record, breaking Wyoming's Jessica Fox's effort of 51.92 in 2003.

Dyer also placed third this past weekend in the 200 meters with a time of 22.99 in the invitational division, beating three-time Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones and setting a new all-time MWC record, surpassing UNLV's Michele Davis' time of 23.00 in 2002. Dyer was also a member of the team's fifth place 4x100 relay and sixth place 4x400 relay teams.