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Coastal Carolina’s Melissa Jefferson and UTA’s Jade Bontke have captured Sun Belt Conference Women’s Track & Field Weekly Honors. For Jefferson, it is her third consecutive Sun Belt Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award.

Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Melissa Jefferson, Coastal Carolina
(Jr., Sprints, Georgetown, S.C.)

Chanticleers’ junior sprinter Melissa Jefferson finished third overall in the women’s 60-meter dash at the Bob Pollock Meet with her time of 7.32 in the finals heat. However, it was Jefferson’s blazing time of 7.23 in the 60-meter dash semifinals heat that would highlight the meet. She again set the Coastal Carolina school record in the event and also set a new Sun Belt Conference record. Jefferson also registered a sixth-place finish in the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 23.70 at the Clemson indoor meet. Her 60-meter dash time of 7.23 ranks seventh nationally in the 60-meter dash. She also ranks 10th nationally in the 200 meters with her time of 23.34.

Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Jade Bontke, UTA
(Sr., Multi-Events, Hillsboro, Texas)

Mavs’ senior Jade Bontke became the first UTA pentathlon competitor in program history to break 4,000 points in the event. She did so at the Texas Tech Open and Multis. She shattered Alexus Henry’s 2018 mark of 3,895 with a total of 4,043 to finish third overall in the event. Bontke’s total placed her 13th in the country by the day’s end. Her school record also was a personal best by more than 500 points. Bontke’s high jump of 1.74m/5-8.50 during the event placed her first in the Sun Belt and 60th in the country.

2022 Sun Belt Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Week 1 – Melissa Jefferson, Coastal Carolina
Week 2 – Melissa Jefferson, Coastal Carolina
Week 3 – Melissa Jefferson, Coastal Carolina

2022 Sun Belt Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Week 1 – Peighton Simmons, App State
Week 2 – Alyssa Wilson, Texas State
Week 3 – Jade Bontke, UTA