Ottumwa, IA – Sophomore Traunard Folson (Jacksonville, FL/Andrew Jackson) of the Indian Hills Men's Track & Field squad made international headlines over the weekend and has been rewarded with a trio of weekly honors.
Folson has been named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Athlete of the Week.
Folson put together one of the most dominant performances in not only school history, but National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Track & Field history. Folson electrified the field in the 100-meter dash with a time of 9.98 (+4.8w), at the time the third-fastest mark in the world this year. Folson's mark also ranks No. 9 all-time in NJCAA history.
Folson broke former national champion and Olympic Silver Medalist Kenny Bednarek's all-conditions mark by .24 seconds and now owns the top indoor 60-meter dash and outdoor 100m times in school history. Folson's time on Saturday came .05 seconds ahead of University of Arkansas sprinter Lance Lang, an 8-time NCAA All-American.
Along with Folson's time in the 100m dash, the sophomore helped power the men's 4x100-meter relay squad to a first-place finish as the lone junior college team in the field. Running the second leg of the event, Folson and the relay quartet put together a mark of 40.09 seconds, 0.16 seconds ahead of Arkansas.
Folson becomes the first track & field student-athlete in school history to sweep the ICCAC, USTFCCCA, and NJCAA Athlete of the Week honors in the same week and becomes just the second individual, joining Bednarek, to garner USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week honors for the outdoor season.
Folson and the Warriors return to action April 19 at the John McDonnell Invitational back in Fayetteville, AR.
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