CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Six student-athletes from five different ACC schools have been named an ACC Indoor Track & Field Performer of the Week after strong showings on Friday, February 7, and Saturday, February 8. Virginia Tech led the way with two selections, Nate Paris and Stuart Pirtle, while California, Duke, SMU, and Virginia each had one award winner.
Virginia’s Gary Martin ran the second-fastest collegiate indoor mile ever on Saturday to earn ACC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors. Additionally, Martin was tabbed as the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week. At the 117th Millrose Games in New York, New York, Martin was the lone collegiate athlete in a field full of the fastest professional athletes in the world. The junior from Warminster, Pennsylvania, clocked a 3:48.82 mile and finished fifth in the loaded field. Earlier on Tuesday, Martin was also named the 2024 ACC Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Duke’s Lauren Tolbert was named the ACC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week after breaking the Duke program record in the 500-meter, while also posting strong showings in the 800-meter and 4x400-meter relay. Her 1:10.49 in the 500-meter is the fastest in the ACC and second-fastest in the country this season. The Belmont, North Carolina, native also helped the Blue Devils to the fifth-fastest 4x400-meter relay time in program history, clocking in at an ACC-best 3:34.12. Tolbert logged a third-place finish at the Doc Hale Invitational in the 800-meter run after finishing the race in 2:07.85.
Paris, the Hokies’ multievent specialist, moved to the top of the ACC performance list for the heptathlon on his way to being named the ACC Men’s Indoor Field Performer of the Week. He captured both the Virginia Tech and Canadian U23 national records as he posted 5,852 points in his season debut. His mark surpassed the previous school record by 33 points while he posted career-best marks in five of the seven events. His mark leads the ACC and ranks fifth nationally this season.
California’s Giavonna Meeks was named the ACC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week for the second time this season after strong showings in the shot put and weight throw. Meeks won her third weight throw title of the season with a mark of 23.52 meters (77-2). The Denver, Colorado native also posted the sixth-best shot put mark in program history at 15.65 meters (51-4.25). Meeks leads the country in the weight throw event while ranking eighth in the ACC in shot put.
Virginia Tech’s Pirtle was named the ACC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Week after posting the fourth-best heptathlon score in Virginia Tech history at the Doc Hale Invitational. The mark came in his collegiate heptathlon debut as the New Market, Virginia, product logged 5,284 career points. During the event, Pirtle set a personal best in the shot put and high jump. His 5,284 points led all freshmen nationally in the heptathlon over the weekend.
SMU’s Kelis Jules earned the title of ACC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Week after she ran the 60-meter hurdles three times over a two-day stretch, breaking the Mustangs’ program record each time she took to the track. The previous SMU record had stood since 1988 before Jules rewrote the history book with her fastest time of 8.57 seconds in the finals. Her time is the fourth-fastest by a freshman in the ACC this season.
ACC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Dec. 10 – Ethan Strand, North Carolina
Jan. 14 – Tyler Azcano, Florida State
Jan. 21 – David Foster, California
Jan. 28 – Judson Lincoln IV, Virginia Tech
Feb. 4 – Ethan Strand, North Carolina
Feb. 11 – Gary Martin, Virginia
ACC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Dec. 10 – Aleksandra Stoilova, Clemson
Jan. 14 – Gabriella Grissom, Miami and Gladys Chepngetich, Clemson
Jan. 21 – Roisin Willis, Stanford
Jan. 28 – Gladys Chepngetich, Clemson
Feb. 4 – Amy Bunnage, Stanford
Feb. 11 – Lauren Tolbert, Duke
ACC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Dec. 10 – Christian Johnson, Duke
Jan. 14 - Kvyon Tatham, Florida State
Jan. 21 – Jeremiah Nubbe, Virginia
Jan. 28 – Tommy Kitchell, North Carolina
Feb. 4 – KJ Byrd, Louisville
Feb. 11 – Nate Paris, Virginia Tech
ACC Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Dec. 10 – Robbie Grace, Wake Forest
Jan. 14 – Shantae Foreman, Clemson
Jan. 21 – Sara Killinen, Virginia Tech
Jan. 28 – Giavonna Meeks, California and Julia Fixsen, Virginia Tech
Feb. 4 – Jadin O’Brien, Notre Dame
Feb. 11 – Giavonna Meeks, California
ACC Men’s Indoor Freshman of the Week
Dec. 10 – Jordan Sowell, Clemson
Jan. 14 – Micahi Danzy, Florida State
Jan. 21 – KJ Byrd, Louisville
Jan. 28 – Caleb Holman, Virginia
Feb. 4 – KJ Byrd, Louisville
Feb. 11 – Stuart Pirtle, Virginia Tech
ACC Women’s Indoor Freshman of the Week
Dec. 10 – Aniyah Kitt, Clemson
Jan. 14 – Aniyah Kitt, Clemson
Jan. 21 – Valentina Savva, California
Jan. 28 – Aniyah Kitt, Clemson
Feb. 4 – Shanque Williams, Clemson
Feb. 11 – Kelis Jules, SMU