Spenner Named Regional Athlete of the Year
Mar 10, 2014 | Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Sami Spenner has been named the Midwest Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year, the USTFCCCA announced Monday. The award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.
Spenner had a record-setting indoor season, becoming one of the best track athletes in the history of Omaha track & field. During the 2013-14 season, she set three school records, was named Summit League Athlete of the Week on three different occasions, Athlete of the Month for the month of January, and the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week for the week of February 3 and March 3.
At the Jack Jennett Invitational on Jan. 31, she set the then-school record in the pentathlon with 4,406 points after winning all five events scored towards the pentathlon. She also set the school record in the long jump with a leap of 20-09 while setting new personal records in the shot put (41-01 1/4), high jump (5-08) and 60 meter hurdles (8.62). Her pentathlon score of 4,406 ranked third in the world in meets through Jan. 31 and was sixth all-time as a collegiate athlete.
At the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. on Feb. 28, Spenner finished second to current Olympian Sharon Day-Monroe with 4,498 points, setting the school record and breaking the American collegiate record. She set the school record in the 60 meter hurdles (8.52) and long jump (20-09 3/4) while setting new PR's in the 800 meter run (2:12.87) and high jump (5-09 1/4).
A week later, Spenner set a new conference record in the pentathlon at the Summit League Indoor Championships with 4,027 points and set a new facility record at Fort Wayne in the long jump (20-01). She accounted for 60 of Omaha's 109 points, winning the pentathlon, 60 meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump.
Spenner and the Mavericks will open up their 2014 outdoor season on March 22nd at the Tulsa Duals in Tulsa, Okla.
