University of North Carolina Athletics
Keefer Named ACC Women's Field Performer Of The Week
April 10, 2018 | Track & Field
GREENSBORO, N.C. - For her ACC-leading 20-9 (6.32 meters) long jump at the Battle of the Blues last Friday, North Carolina's Anna Keefer was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Field Performer of the Week, announced Tuesday by the league.
Keefer, a freshman from St. Michael Albertville, Minn., set the mark on her sixth and final attempt at the Battle of the Blues, achieving a new lifetime best for the third-straight meet dating back to her 20-2 ½ (6.16 meters) jump at the 2018 ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships that won the event.Â
Keefer's mark not only leads the conference on the season, it is the best mark in the ACC by almost four inches, with the next best jump by Sydnei Murphy of Duke at 20-5 ¼ (6.23 meters). The leap is eighth in the east region and 11th in the country. It is also the second-best jump in the country by a freshman, second only to 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships bronze-medalist Tara Davis.
Additionally, Keefer surpassed the winning long jump mark from the 2017 ACC Outdoor Championships — 20-5 ¼ (6.23 meters) by Bre'Yana Wash of Louisville — by almost four inches.
Keefer is the first Tar Heel to earn an ACC Performer of the Week honor this outdoor season, but joins teammates Brianna Duncan and Nicole Greene (2x) who were honored during the indoor season.Â
This week's top ACC track and field performers at a glance:
ACC Men's Track Performer of the Week
Dylan Peebles, NC State
Peebles won the men's 200 meters for the second time this outdoor season as he clocked a 20.66 PR at last weekend's Gamecock Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina. The Raleigh, North Carolina, sophomore led a field of 54 sprinters with a time that was not only a personal best but also a top 15 national mark and moved him to No. 7 on NC State's all-time 200m performance list. Peebles also ran the second leg of the Wolfpack's 4x400 relay team that took home another gold medal.Â
ACC Women's Track Performer of the Week
Samantha Gonzalez, Miami
Gonazlez turned in the fastest 400m hurdles time in the ACC this week, winning the event at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational with a personal-best time of 57.89 seconds. The Carrolton, Texas, junior won the event by nearly two full seconds, posting an ACC-leading time that ranks fourth in the NCAA East region and 11th in the nation this year.
ACC Men's Field Performer of the Week
Nate Richartz, Notre Dame
Richartz won his third pole vault event of the season at the Stanford Invitational after clearing 5.55m (18-2.5). The mark was the best in the nation in the Division I ranks last weekend and is the eighth-best overall this outdoor season. Richartz has won all three pole vault events in which he has competed this spring. The Island Lake, Illinois, grad student now owns the top two vaults in the ACC this season, including a school-record mark last month that ranks fourth nationally.
ACC Women's Field Performer of the Week
Anna Keefer, North Carolina
Keefer set a lifetime best in the long jump for the third consecutive meet with a gold medal jump of 6.32m (20-9) during last weekend's Battle of the Blues competition. Her jump is the best in the ACC this season and ranks 11th nationally. It is also the second-best jump by a freshman in the nation this season and currently leads the conference by almost four inches.
Players Mentioned
