Junior Matt Molinaro named Div. III USTFCCCA Men's National Athlete of the Week

By Caleb Scott

ADA — Junior Matt Molinaro (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle) has been named the Men's Div. III United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Athlete of the Week, released Apr. 18.

Molinaro earned the honor for the first time in his career, and completed the Div. III sweep of the award as teammate Emily Richards claimed the Women's Female Athlete of the Week Award and helped Northern become the first teammates this season and in school history to ever complete the feat.

The junior posted outstanding performances at the Mt. Sac Relays and Beach Invitational in California this past weekend.

Molinaro opened the weekend with a fourth place finish in the 800-meter run at the Mt. Sac Relays in a Div. I-dominated field, running the fastest time nationally among Div. III athletes in 1:49.30.

He would double back to compete in the 800-meter run the following day at the Beach Invitational, where he cut his time down by nearly half a second and bettered his national mark, while narrowly missing both school record and all-time top-10 times in the event.

Molinaro and Richards became the first teammates this year to sweep both the men's and women's awards.

Northern returns to the track Saturday, Apr. 22 as it hosts the annual Polar Bear Invitational at Kerscher Stadium.