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Lifferth-Dorius Earns Both WAC Women's Track And America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete Of The Week Awards
May 12, 2008
LOGAN, Utah - Utah State track and field athlete Stacie Lifferth-Dorius has been selected as both the Western Athletic Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Week and the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week for the period ending on Sunday, May 11, it was announced on Monday. The USU award is voted on by a state media panel. Lifferth-Dorius, a senior from Layton, Utah (Northridge HS), was third in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with an NCAA regional qualifying time of 10:21.11 at the Oregon Twilight meet Friday evening at Oregon's Historic Hayward Field at Eugene, Ore. She was the top collegiate runner, finishing behind winner Carrie Vickers of Asics (9:51.08) and second-place Lesley Higgins of NYAC (10:12.18). Lifferth-Dorius bettered her previous season-best and WAC-leading time by over three seconds. Her prior best time this year was a 10:24.56 on April 25 at the same track, but due to an improper set up of the steeplechase barriers, her time did not count as an official NCAA regional qualifier. Friday's time for Lifferth-Dorius is the second-fastest in USU history as well as her personal second-fastest time behind her school record clocking of 10:10.89 run last year. The WAC Track Athlete of the Week award is the third in a row for a member of the Aggie women's team after junior Katie Thatcher earned the honor last week and sophomore Erin Stratton garned the recognition the previous week. This is the second USU Athlete of the Week honor for Lifferth-Dorius this season, after earning the accolade on March 24. She received that honor after winning the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the Arizona-hosted Willie Williams Classic with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 10:46.61, which is also the fourth-fastest time in school history. Lifferth-Dorius has now received USU Athlete of the Week recognition four times in her career after earning the honor twice last season (Feb. 12 and April 23). This is the fourth USU weekly honor for the Aggie women's track and field team this season after Lifferth-Dorius has won the honor twice and is joined by sophomore Erin Stratton (Jan. 28) and Maria Halton (Feb. 4) who earned the recognition during the indoor season. Overall, this is the fourth week in a row that a track and field athlete has garnered the weekly award after men's team members Blake Hadfield (April 21), Seth Wold (April 28) and John Strang (May 4). Lifferth-Dorius is the two-time defending WAC champion in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and she will defend her title at the WAC Championships next Wednesday-Saturday, May 14-17 at Boise, Idaho and hosted by Boise State. The women's steeplechase is scheduled to open the running events on Friday at 2 p.m. (MT). For more information on next week's WAC Championships, including ticket information, go to www.wacsports.com. Nominees from other sports included: MEN'S TRACK - Freshman James Allred (Helena, Mont.) finished second in the 400 meters at the Utah Collegiate Challenge last week with a personal-best time of 48.60, which is the fifth-fastest time in the WAC this year. SOFTBALL - Sophomore center fielder Emily Reilly (Portland, Ore.) was Utah State's top offensive player at the 2008 Western Athletic Conference Softball Tournament held in Honolulu, Hawai'i, as the Aggies lost to San Jose State, 8-2, and New Mexico State, 3-0. During the tournament, Reilly hit .333 (2-6) with one run scored and added one walk.
2007-08 Utah State Athlete of the Week Winners
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