Four Tritons Earn ICCAC Athlete of the Week Honors
Abbigail Hutchinson – Iowa Central – Freshman – 3000 Meter Steeplechase
Iowa Central's Abbigail Hutchinson ran a national qualifying time in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase last week, posting a personal best of 11:23.52. Her performance earned her a 6th place ranking in the country for the event. In addition to her success in the steeplechase, Hutchinson also has a qualifying time this season in the 5,000 meters.
Cooper Nicholson – Iowa Central – Sophomore – Second Base
Last year's ICCAC Division II Player of the Year, Cooper Nicholson, appeared as the ICCAC Athlete of the Week for the first time this season after a massive week at the plate as the Tritons rolled to six wins. Nicholson went 12-for-27 (.444) over the six-game stretch, blasting five home runs, adding a double, and swiping two bases. He also scored 12 runs and drove in 13 RBI to lead the offensive charge. His most dominant performance came in a 21-2 blowout over Marshalltown, where he went 4-for-5, launched three home runs, stole a base, scored four runs, and tallied seven RBI. With the big week, Nicholson now leads Iowa Central in runs scored with 49 and continues to be one of the top threats in the ICCAC.
Olivia Eckert – Iowa Central – Sophomore
Olivia Eckert earned a fifth-place finish at the Upper Iowa Invite this past week, standing out in a field of 32 competitors. After a challenging opening round of 87, Eckert bounced back in a big way, shooting a career-best 76 in round two—just four over par. Her second-round score was tied for the lowest of the entire tournament and helped her climb seven spots on the leaderboard to secure a top-five finish.
Chakib Cherkaoui Rhazouani – Iowa Central – Freshman – 10,000 Meters
Iowa Central's Chakib Cherkaoui Rhazouani took first place in the 10,000 meters at the USD Early Bird last week, clocking in with a time of 31:16.09. This marked his best time of the season in the event, finishing 10 seconds ahead of second place. Cherkaoui Rhazouani is currently ranked sixth in the country in the 10,000 meters, trailing a group of Salt Lake runners, five of whom have times under 31 minutes this season.
*Article courtesy of ICCAC.