April 28, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Fresh off big wins at the 121st Penn Relays, senior Jeannelle Scheper and freshman Josh Awotunde earned weekly honors from the Southeastern Conference. Scheper earned her third Field Athlete of the Week honor of the outdoor season, while Awotunde earned Freshman of the Week for his first career honor from the conference.

Awotunde returned home for his first collegiate meet at Penn, and did so in a big way, winning the discus and finishing third in the shot put. The Franklinville, N.J. native would rewrite both the Carolina and meet record books in the discus, setting a new event record in the college division. In his second attempt of the morning, he went for 191 feet, three inches.

It would stand as the winning mark, beating out Brown’s Courtland Clavette (188-8). Awotunde’s mark was almost four feet better than the previous event record, set back in 2005 by Villanova’s Robert McDade. In Carolina’s record book, he moves up to number five all-time, with the best mark by any Gamecock in the event since 1999. Following the discus, Josh competed in the shot put and took third overall. His throw of 18.13 meters (59-5.75) is his second best mark of the Spring.

Scheper continued her unbeaten season in the high jump, winning the Championship Division of the Penn Relays with a mark of 1.86 meters (6-1.25). The St. Lucian standout earned her first career victory at the meet and passed on the final bars as she sets her eyes on the postseason. Despite that fact, she still had the best jump nationally for the week, and continues to lead the country for the season in the event.

Next up for the team will be the SEC Outdoor Championships, which will be hosted by Mississippi State. The meet begins May 14.