ROSEMONT, Ill. – Senior Greg Thompson of the Maryland track and field team was named the Big Ten Men's Field Athlete of the Week today, as announced by the conference. This marks the first conference honor received by the track and field team, both men's and women's this season.
The London, England native continued to blow away the field and surpass his own school record (previously 61.29m set at the 2018 Penn Relays) in the men's discus throw. The next highest marks in the event at the UNF Spring Break Invite were 57.42m and 48.95m. Thompson's 61.39m mark is currently the best mark in the Big Ten and ranks second in the NCAA, and Thompson has won both discus events he has competed in this outdoor season.
This marks the second weekly conference honor Thompson has received in his career at Maryland. He won his first weekly honor on May 10, 2017 after setting the then-school record in the discus at the Kehoe Twilight Meet.
In total, Maryland secured seven individual first-place finishes through two days of competition at the UNF Spring Break Invitational, the most first place finishes for any team competing at the meet. Freshman Dashawn Morris took home first in the 400m (46.87), Leah Blackall finished first in the women's triple jump (12.21m), Carlos Vanzego won first in the triple jump (15.20m), Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis earned first in the women's high jump (1.77m), Xahria Santiago placed first in the women's 400m (54.08) and Alice Barnsdale took home first in the women's hammer throw (59.69m).
The track & field squads return to the track next weekend at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida. The squad will also split to compete at the Navy Springtime Invite in Annapolis, Maryland.
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