Five UTEP track & field athletes earn CUSA weekly honors
(Courtesy: UTEP Athletics)
DALLAS, Texas - The UTEP track and field team took home five of the six Conference USA weekly awards as Jakub Belik (male field athlete of the week), Niesha Burger (female track athlete of the week), Arianne Morais (female field athlete of the week), Julio Pacheco Estrada (male track athlete of the week) and Alla Parnov (female freshman of the week) received those honors on Tuesday as announced by league officials.
The CUSA weekly awards are presented by Blenders Eyewear.
The quintet got off to a positive start to open the 2024 outdoor season at the Arizona Spring Break Fiesta on March 16.
Parnov headlined the day as she set the school standard with a 4.15-meter mark (13-7.25) in the women’s pole vault and finished first in her first collegiate outdoor event.
The freshman initially tied the school record with a 3.80 on her first attempt. Parnov also holds the school’s indoor record with the same mark.
Parnov ranks t-ninth nationally and first in Conference USA.
It’s Parnov’s second career freshman honor after receiving an indoor freshman award earlier this season.
Morais opened her season with a first-place showing in the women’s javelin final.
The native of Oslo, Norway, hurled a 53.14-meter (174-4) mark.
The senior’s mark ranks fifth nationally and first in Conference USA.
It’s Morais’s third career outdoor honor after earning a pair in 2023.
Belik continued his success by opening the outdoor season with a men’s high jump victory.
The junior posted a 2.13-meter (6-11.25) mark.
The native of Jaromer, Czech Republic, ranks first in Conference USA and 11th nationally.
It’s Belik’s first-ever outdoor weekly honor and his second overall honor after garnering an indoor award this season.
Pacheco Estrada competed in a pair of events.
He was the second leg in the 4x400-meter relay team that placed second with a 3:12.13.
The time topped last season’s best of 3:14.18. UTEP ranks 17th nationally and first in CUSA.
The native of Chihuahua, Mexico, also ran the 400-meter dash, clocking in a CUSA-best 47.12. His 400 time rates 21st in the country.
It’s the first weekly honor for the junior sprinter.
Burgher competed in a trio of events. Burgher was the second leg in the women's 4x100-meter relay victory, clocking in a 44.18 (third best time in program history).
UTEP's 4x1 time ranks fifth nationally and first in Conference USA. She also anchored the 4x400-meter relay race, as the Miners finished in first place with a time of 3:38.0.
UTEP ranks sixth nationally and first in CUSA in 4x4. Burgher placed fifth out of 25 competitors in the women’s 400-meter dash with a 54.37.
Her 400 time ranks first in CUSA and 16th nationally.
For Burgher, it's her third career outdoor weekly award and fourth honor overall after earning an indoor weekly honor earlier this season.
