Samford’s Fightmaster earns SoCon Field Athlete of Week

From SoCon reports SPARTANBURG, S.C.

– Samford earned a clean sweep of the Southern Conference indoor track and field athlete of the week awards for competition that took place Jan. 18-20. Arsène Guillorel and Karisa Nelson were named the men’s and women’s track athletes of the week, respectively, while former Calhoun High standout Keyth Fightmaster and Selena Popp were named the men’s and women’s field athletes of the week, respectively.

Selections were made by panels of the league’s men’s and women’s track and field coaches.

Guillorel, a senior from Pontchateau, France, turned in a time of 4:01.06 in the mile at the Samford Invitational at the Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday, turning in the top collegiate time and finishing fifth overall. His time is the best in the SoCon this season by more than six seconds and is the fourth-best time in NCAA Division I this year.

At the same meet, Fightmaster, a junior from Calhoun, Georgia, turned in a leap of 2.14 meters (7 feet, 0.25 inches) to win the high jump. His mark leads the conference this season by 0.14 meters, or 5.5 inches, and is tied for 30th in NCAA DI.

Nelson was the top collegiate finisher and second overall in the 800-meter run at the Samford Invitational. Her time of 2:05.87 is the best mark in the SoCon this season by more than two seconds and is fourth in NCAA DI. The senior from Brewton, Alabama, is the reigning NCAA champion in the mile.

Popp competed in the Samford Multi, which took place Thursday and Friday, also at the Crossplex. The junior from Hixon, Tennessee, won the pentathlon with a score of 3,912, winning the high jump and long jump portions of the competition and finishing second in the 800-meter run en route to the 162-point win. Her score leads the SoCon and is sixth in Division I so far this season.