Mariam Kevkhishvili Named SEC Female Field Athlete of the Week
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 | Track and Field
Senior Florida thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili (Tbilisi, Georgia) has been named the Southeastern Conference's Female Field Athlete of the Week for her record-setting performances at the Kentucky Invitational this past weekend, the league offices in Birmingham, Ala., announced Tuesday.
Kevkhishvili, who last week was named to the preseason watchlist for The Bowerman - track and field's highest honor, turned in the finest indoor performance of her career this past weekend, recording an NCAA automatic-qualifying shot put toss of 18.47m/60-7.25. That shattered her previous personal-record by more than half-a-meter.
Kevkhishvili broke her own Florida school record in the shot put and set the Georgian National Record in the process. Three of her six throws went further than 18.32 meters and all five throws that landed within the sector met the automatic-qualifying standard. Kevkhishvili also broke the E.J. Nutter Fieldhouse facility record.
Kevkhishvili's mark is the best indoor shot-put mark in the world this season, topping Nadine Kleinert of Germany, who recorded a mark of 18.30m on Dec. 20, 2009.
Kevkhishvili has won eight consecutive indoor competitions dating back to the 2008 season.
Kevkhishvili and the Gators have a week off from competition before returning to action Jan. 29-30 at the Texas A&M Challenge in College Station, Texas.
SEC TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK - WEEK 1
• Male Runner of the Week: Scott McPherson, Arkansas
• Male Field Athlete of the Week: John Freeman, Georgia
• Male Freshman of the Week: Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas
• Co-Female Runner of the Week: LaKya Brookins, S. Carolina; Sheniqua Ferguson, Auburn
• Female Field Athlete of the Week: Mariam Kevkhishvili, Florida
• Female Freshman of the Week: Regina George, Arkansas
ABOUT MARIAM KEVKHISHVILI
Mariam Kevkhishvili is a three-time NCAA Champion, a six-time All-American and a two-time Olympian … She holds Florida's school indoor record in the women's shot put at 18.47m/60-7.25 and has won back-to-back NCAA Indoor Championships (2008, 2009), making her just the fourth woman in NCAA history to accomplish that feat … She ranks third all-time on Florida's outdoor shot put list and was the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Champion … Kevkhishvili holds the SEC Outdoor Meet Record in the women's shot put … She was named the 2009 USTFCCCA South Region Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Year.
Follow Mariam's campaign for The Bowerman on Facebook. Join the group “Mariam Kevkhishvili for The Bowerman” today.
For all of the latest information on Florida track and field, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/trackfield, or for up-to-the minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account @GZTrackField or www.twitter.com/GZTrackField.
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