Silva, Krause sweep OAC Track and Field Athlete of the Week Awards

By Blake Moore

ADA — Freshman sprinter Kayla Silva (Westerville/South) and junior pole vaulter Maggie Krause (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) have swept the Ohio Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week awards for the March 25-31 voting period, the league office announced Monday afternoon.

The tandem helped guide the Polar Bears to a third-place finish in the 29-team Emory (Ga.) Classic on Friday and Saturday in Atlanta.

Silva was named the OAC Track Athlete of the Week after recording a new freshman class record and the second-fastest clocking all-time at ONU in the 100-meter dash with a :12.32 effort. The performance also tops the OAC performance list, edging out teammate Taylor Lavey's (New Baltimore, Mich./Findlay) :12.34 finish over the weekend.

In addition, the Westerville product posted a :26.67 in the 200-meter dash, which now ranks fourth all-time among freshman at Ohio Northern, and helped the 4x100-meter relay team to a fourth-place finish over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Krause garnered OAC Field Athlete of the Week honors following her first outing in the 2019 outdoor campaign. In the pole vault competition, she cleared 3.60 meters to earn runner-up honors and establish the top vault in the conference this season by 0.21 meters (approximately 8 inches).

Her weekend effort currently stands tied for 17th on the NCAA Division III performance list.

With the announcement, Silva earns her first career OAC Athlete of the Week honor. Meanwhile, Krause garners her third career OAC weekly accolade, having received the previous honors on January 21 and February 4 this season.

The Polar Bears (36-5 overall) will return to action this Saturday, April 6 with a trip to the Oberlin Invitational.