Penina Acayo, Women's Track & Field
Kent State redshirt senior women's track & field triple jumper Penina Acayo (Kampala, Uganda) has been named the Kent State Student-Athlete of the Week.
Acayo wrapped up the indoor season for the Golden Flashes last Saturday (March 10) with her 11th place finish at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Jacksons Indoor Track.
Jumping last in the first heat, Acayo's first jump placed her second early on. But the Kent State graduate student's third and final jump of 12.60 meters (41' 4.25") placed her sixth in her heat. After the second heat's completion, Acayo finished 11th overall, two spots out of the finals.
Acayo was not on the initial NCAA Meet Participants List, which was announced Monday, March 5.
Event fields for the NCAA Indoor Championships are determined by a descending order list. Including ties, fields can be anywhere from 14-20 participants; the initial list for the triple jump cut off at the top 16 competitors.
Acayo was the 17th competitor on the list by just one centimeter.
Acayo's best triple jump of the season came last weekend at Notre Dame's Alex Wilson Invitational, where she jumped 12.97 meters, or 42' 6.75". That mark is second-best in Kent State history.
With the conclusion of the indoor season, Kent State will begin the 2012 outdoor track and field season at the end of March with the Texas Relays March 28-31 and the Oliver Nickoloff Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 31.
2011-12 KENT STATE STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Week 29 - Penina Acayo, Women's Track & Field
Week 28 - Tyler Small, Wrestling
Week 27 - Women's Track & Field Team
Week 26 - David Starn, Baseball
Week 25 - Justin Greene, Men's Basketball
Week 23 - Marie Case, Gymnastics
Week 22 - Princeton Bryson, Men's Track & Field
Week 21 - Ian Miller, Wrestling
Week 20 - Diamon Beckford, Women's Basketball
Week 19 - Randal Holt, Men's Basketball
Week 18 - Nic Bedelyon & Brandon Barlow, Wrestling
Week 17 - Casey Newburg, Wrestling
Week 16 - Mallie Shuster, Wrestling
Week 15 - Randal Holt, Men's Basketball
Week 14 - Nic Bedelyon, Wrestling
Week 13 - Michael Porrini, Men's Basketball
Week 12 - Football and Volleyball Teams
Week 11 - Spencer Keith, Football
Week 10 - Carla Johl, Field Hockey
Week 9 - Kelly Sherwood, Soccer
Week 8 - Corey Conners, Men's Golf
Week 7 - Vanessa Salerno, Soccer
Week 6 - Rebecca Lee, Field Hockey
Week 5 - Luke Wollet, Football
Week 4 - Michael Heller, Men's Cross Country
Week 3 - Stephanie Haugh, Soccer
