Atwater and Murfin Named IIAC AOWs After MVP Performances
May 17, 2016
Official IIAC release
Atwater Complete Results
Murfin Complete Results
DUBUQUE, Iowa – Thanks to their Iowa Conference Most Valuable Field Performer awards, throwers Tanasha Atwater and Blaze Murfin were also named Iowa Conference Athletes of the Week.
Atwater won the shot put (12.92m/42-4.75) and placed second in the hammer throw (49.17m/161-4) en route to being named the first MVP in UD history, while Murfin won both the shot put and hammer throw with a third-place finish in the discus to secure UD’s first-ever Male Field MVP award at the Iowa Conference Championships last weekend.
Atwater, a sophomore, successfully defended her IIAC indoor shot put title with her 15th shot put win of 2016. Already leading the nation in the shot put, the Davenport, Ill. native ranks Top-15 in the hammer throw as well. Atwater was named to her seventh career Iowa Conference Female Track Performer of the Week honor, all coming this season.
Murfin racked up 27 total points, over 25 percent of UD’s total of 106, with a pair of wins and a third-place performance. In five career Iowa Conference Championship events, Murfin has won three times with two All-IIAC finishes.
The three-time IIAC Male Track Performer of the Week honor is Top-50 nationally in all three events, with his highest ranking in the shot put (29th).
With the Top-22 women and the Top-20 men qualifying for the Division III National Championships hosted by Wartburg, Atwater has all but guaranteed a spot in both shot put and hammer throw while Murfin has some work to do.
Both may be competing in a pair of Last Chance meets this Thursday at UW-La Crosse and Friday at North Central (Ill.).
