Sammy Watson's relay effort earns SEC Freshman of the Week honor

BIRMINGHAM – Anchoring the Aggie distance medley relay to a meet and school record with a split of 4:42.97 on the 1,600-meter leg earned Texas A&M's Sammy Watson the SEC Freshman of the Week honor, announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
 
Watson finished off the distance medley relay during the Ted Nelson Invitational last Friday as the Aggies posted a time of 11:12.06, which broke the 2012 school record of 11:29.89 as well as the meet record of 11:33.55 set by Texas in 2017. Natosha Rogers, a former NCAA 10,000m champion, anchored the previous Texas A&M school record in 4:43.80.
 
Currently the collegiate-leading time for 2018, the Aggies distance medley relay tops the event by 25-plus seconds. The next fastest team is Kentucky at 11:37.33.
 
UPCOMING
Texas A&M hosts a quadrangular this Saturday with Arizona State, Baylor and Texas competing in the scored meet. Texas A&M men are undefeated when hosting a dual, triangular or quad meet on this weekend, producing a record of 14-0 from 2009 to 2016, while the Aggie women have a record of 11-3. Last season Texas A&M hosted a seven-team Invitational on this weekend.
 
Initial women's dual meet rankings produced by Track & Field News for the 2018 indoor season have Texas A&M in the No. 1 position ahead of Tennessee, Minnesota, Kansas State, and Indiana. Texas women are No. 21 with Baylor at No. 22.
 
SEC Track & Field – Athletes of the Week
Men's Co-Runner of the Week: Obi Igbokwe, Arkansas & Akeem Bloomfield, Auburn
Men's Field Athlete of the Week: Daniel Haugh, Alabama
Men's Freshman of the Week: Dwight St. Hillaire, Kentucky
Women's Runner of the Week: Mikiah Brisco, LSU
Women's Field Athlete of the Week: Olivia Gruver, Kentucky
Women's Freshman of the Week: Sammy Watson, Texas A&M