IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly outdoor track & field awards for the week ending Sunday, April 16.
 
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Royal Burris, Jr., East Carolina
Royal Burris ran a season best 10.24 in the 100-meter dash at the Trojan Relays in Mount Olive, NC to take home the gold medal. His time is second in The American this season and 39^th best time in the country. He was also a leg on the first-place 4x100 relay team which ran a 40.31.
 
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Christyan Sampy, Sr., Houston
Sampy had an impressive weekend for the Cougars, clearing a height of 5.55 meters (18’2.5”) in pole vault at the 63^rd Annual Mt. SAC Relays. The mark is the best in The American by .28 meters and is tied for the seventh best mark in the NCAA.
 
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Latasha Smith, Jr., UCF
Smith broke her own program record in the 400-meter dash with UCF’s first sub-52 time in program history at 51.47. The time is the fastest in The American this season and the 10^th-best performance in the nation. She was also the anchor on the 4x400 relay team that ran the 13^th fastest time in the nation at 3:31.42.
 
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Taylor Beard, So., Cincinnati
Beard set a new outdoor personal best in the high jump, clearing a height of 1.84 meters (6’0.5”) at the UF Tom Jones Memorial. The mark is the third best in Cincinnati program history, the top mark in The American this season and the sixth-best performance in the nation.