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Gators Reel in Weekly Honors
April 17, 2007
MEADVILLE, Pa. – It has almost become commonplace for some member of the Allegheny College men’s track and field team to earn North Coast Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors. This week, the Gators grabbed two of the three spots with senior Marcus Solomon (Rockwell, Texas/Dallas Christian) and junior Frank Tupta (University Heights, Ohio/Hawken) each earning the award for their respective events.
Solomon picked up weekly honors in the sprints and hurdle events following his performance at the Slippery Rock Invitational on April 14. The Gator senior competed as an individual in two events, placing 11th in the 100-meter dash (11.60) and 24th in the 200-meter dash (25.13). Solomon also ran a leg of the fourth-place 4x100-meter relay team, which completed its run in 43.04.
This season, Solomon has already qualified for the NCAC Championships in the 100 and 200 meters, currently ranking third in both events. He also helped propel the 4x100-meter relay team to the No. 1 ranking in the conference so far this season with the time achieved at Slippery Rock.
Tupta earned his second weekly honor of 2006-07 in the field events after picking up the same distinction during the indoor season. The Gator junior picked up a fifth-place finish in the shot put at Slippery Rock, heaving the 16-pound ball 49 feet, 1.75 inches. Tupta was the only NCAA Division III competitor in the top five. Additionally, he competed in the discus throw, placing 23rd overall in a deep field with a throw of 120 feet, one inch.
The defending outdoor champion and the 2007 NCAC indoor champion, Tupta currently holds the longest throw in the shot put in the NCAC this spring, clearing 50 feet, four inches at the Carnegie Mellon Tri-Meet on April 5. He has also qualified for the NCAC Championships in the discus, ranking seventh with a distance of 131 feet, 10 inches.
The Allegheny thinclads continue their outdoor season this Saturday, April 21, at the Indiana (Pa.) University Invitational.