IRVINE, Calif. – This week’s PacWest Men’s Track & Field Athletes of the Week are Gatien Airiau (Academy of Art), Austin Turner (Azusa Pacific) and Alex Henderson (Azusa Pacific). The awards are based on competition from March 27-April 2.
 
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Gatien Airiau (Academy of Art)
Gr.- Sassenage, France
 
Airiau’s first 3000m steeplechase in the United States was an impressive feat.  He not only set a new ARTU record, but his time of 8:51.08 at Stanford was nearly a full two seconds lower than the nationals auto qualifying standard.  His time is currently the second-fastest run by any DII athlete thus far in 2017.  He also added a 10:26.62 in the 2-mile at the SF State Distance Carnival, becoming the ARTU record-holder in that distance as well.
 
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Austin Turner (Azusa Pacific)
Sr.- Redlands, Calif./Riverside CC
 
CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Alex Henderson (Azusa Pacific)
Sr.- Redding, Calif./Siskiyous CC
 
                                           
Turner and Henderson both competed at the California Collegiate Invitational, hosted by UCSD, over the weekend.  Turner took second overall in the hammer throw and was the top DII finisher in the field.  His mark of 55.57m was good enough for a provisional qualifier for the national championships.  Henderson won the javelin with a career-best throw of 66.12m, climbing two spots to fifth on the NCAA DII performance list.  His performance also earned a provisional mark.