A Southland Conference record and four Northwestern State athletes who posted top marks in the SLC led to a sweep of the conference weekly awards, announced Wednesday.
After Sanaria Butler’s record-breaking performance at the Jarvis Scott Open on the campus of Texas Tech, she was named SLC Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. Butler was joined by Annemarie Broussard (women’s field), Keontae Gaines (men’s track) and Djimon Gumbs (men’s field) as the conference players of the week.
Butler, a sophomore from Port Arthur, ran a blistering 52.92 in the 400-meter dash, 0.33 seconds faster than the previous top mark of 53.25, set by Natashia Jackson in 2020.
She now holds both the indoor and outdoor school records in the 400-meter dash.
After running Butler went straight from running a conference record in the 400 to go to the long jump section A, where she proceeded to post a personal-best 19-5.25.
Broussard is coming back to normal after missing the outdoor season a season ago due to injury. The most decorated cleared 12-10.75 in the pole vault.
Gumbs is no stranger to being the top of the conference in an event. After being sick for a few weeks, Gumbs is on his way to being back to normal. Gumbs finished second in the shot put with a toss of a conference-best 60-7.75.
It is the second consecutive weekly award for him.
Gaines earned his first career SLC weekly award, earning the men’s track athlete of the week award for his efforts in the 60-meter dash in Lubbock.
The junior ran a personal-best 6.62 to grab sixth in the 60-meter dash after sprinting to a 6.68 in the prelims to advance to the finals.
The NSU track and field teams take a week off before heading to Birmingham, Alabama, for the SLC Indoor Championships, beginning Feb. 25.
