The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saunders Named SEC Athlete of the Week
1/19/2016 | Track and Field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After a record-breaking performance over the weekend, Ole Miss sophomore Raven Saunders has been named the Southeastern Conference Women's Field Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
In her second Ole Miss meet, Saunders broke school, meet and facility records in the shot put with a world-leading mark of 18.67m/61-3 to win the Kentucky Invitational. Her gigantic throw was the best ever by an SEC female thrower and ranks her No. 4 in NCAA history.
A two-time NCAA champion, she improved her previous personal best of 18.62m/61-1.25 that she threw to claim last year's NCAA indoor title as a freshman at Southern Illinois.
Saunders became the first Ole Miss thrower, male or female, to break the 60-foot mark in the shot put. She tops the next-best SEC female shot putter (Tennessee's Cassie Wertman) by seven feet and the next-best in the nation (Kansas State's Dani Winters) by almost five feet.
Saunders also achieved a personal best in the weight throw over the weekend, throwing 19.61m/64-4 to rank 21st on the national list.
The Rebels will compete in the exciting Conference Clash at the Birmingham (Ala.) CrossPlex this weekend that pits SEC foes Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt against premier out-of-conference teams from Arizona, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Purdue, Texas and USC.
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