High Point University announces Trio of Panthers Earn Weekly Big South Awards

From February 22, 2023 post.

Three High Point University track and field athletes earned Big South weekly awards, as announced by the conference office Wednesday afternoon (February 22). Rachel Vesper and Reid Holloway collected their second consecutive honors while Chris Van Niekerk picked up his first award of the season. 

Chris Van Niekerk, Big South Men's Field Athlete of the Week

Van Niekerk finished as the runner-up in the shot put with a season-best mark of 17.87m at the Virginia Tech Challenge. Van Niekerk's mark moved him into second place among Big South marks this season. Van Niekerk is a two-time Big South Indoor shot put champion (2019, 2021) and will get the chance to defend the title on Friday, February 24th, at 4:00 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va. 

Reid Holloway, Big South Men's Freshman of the Week

Holloway won the men's unseeded pole vault at the VT Challenge, clearing 4.90m for a new personal best. Holloway has improved his mark from 4.70m at the Wesley A. Brown Invitational (January 20-21) where he took seventh place. His mark at 4.90m is tied for seventh all-time in High Point program history. 

Rachel Vesper, Big South Women's Field Athlete of the Week

Vesper had a monumental weekend at the VT Challenge, setting a new lifetime-best mark in the pole vault at 4.36m and taking third place in the event. Her mark is the seventh-best mark in NCAA Division I, sitting with a good chance to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships heading into the final weekend of regular season competition. Vesper's mark is second-best in program history behind teammate Sydney Horn's mark of 4.46m, recorded at last year's NCAA Indoor Championships. 

#DefendTheTeam x #GoHPU

Original source can be found here.