Cartwright earns national athlete of the week honor

Bahamian collegiate junior Denisha Cartwright had an impressive weekend on the track and was rewarded for her performances when she was named as the USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association) NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division II National Female Athlete of the Week. Additionally, the Bahamian was named as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Track Athlete of the Week.

Both announcements were made yesterday.

Cartwright who runs for the Minnesota State University at Mankato Mavericks was in action in her third meet of the season, competing in the women’s 60 meters (m) dash, the 60m hurdles and the 200m dash at the Ted Nelson Dual at the Mavericks home arena, Myers Fieldhouse, in Mankato, Minnesota.

Cartwright ended the meet with two first-place finishes and a second-place finish. She won the 60m hurdles and the 200m and was second in the 60m.

Cartwright made history, becoming the first Mavericks athlete to ever be named USTFCCCA National Female Athlete of the Week indoors. She also produced three NCAA Division II (DII) provisional marks over the weekend.

The sophomore powered her way to the top of the NCAA DII top times in the 60m hurdles with a time 8.62 seconds. Finishing behind her in second place was the University of Northern Iowa Panthers’ Megan Hudson who clocked 9.03 seconds. Hudson’s teammate, Hannah Schau, was third with a time of 9.14 seconds.

Cartwright, a former Temple Christian Schools Suns athlete, also produced the second-fastest time in the 200m at the NCAA DII level. She sped to the finish line in 24.78 seconds to secure a win in that event. The Panthers’ Libby Wedewer recorded a time of 24.84 seconds for second. Cartwright’s teammate Ja’ Cey Simmons placed third after clocking 24.85 seconds.

In the 60m dash, Cartwright went into the final with the fastest time of 7.66 seconds, but her time of 7.61 seconds in the final was not enough to finish the weekend perfect as she placed second overall. That time was enough to place her at number 11 on the NCAA DII 60m list for this season.

Simmons got the better of her in that race, winning in 7.59 seconds. Grace Hartman, another Mavericks athlete, placed third after clocking 7.69 seconds.

As mentioned, this was the Bahamian’s third track meet this season and she has finished no lower than third in all her final events. She also lowered her times at each meet this season. In the 60m hurdles, she started out at 8.93 seconds, then improved to 8.74 seconds and after this weekend, her season’s best is 8.62 seconds. Her personal best time is 8.49 seconds.

In the 200m, Cartwright clocked 25.02 seconds before going sub-25 seconds last weekend. In this event, her personal best is 24.49 seconds.

She started off the season in the 60m dash at 7.79 seconds before lowering it to 7.61 seconds this past weekend. Her personal best in this event is 7.48 seconds.

Cartwright is looking to lower her times even more as the NSIC Indoor Championships approaches. That meet is set for February 26-27.

Cartwright and fellow Bahamian Lyric Brennen return to action on the track this Friday at home when the Mavericks host the Minnesota State Triangular, going up against the University of Sioux Falls Cougars and the Concordia University at St. Paul Golden Bears.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/cartwright-earns-national-athlete-of-the-week-honor/