University of Houston Athletics
LeShon Collins Named Athlete of the Week
4/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Providence, R.I. â€" For the second time this outdoor season, senior sprinter LeShon Collins has been named American Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Week, this time for his performance at the Baylor Invitational, the conference office announced Tuesday.
Collins opened the single day meet running as a member of the 4x100-meter relay team. Alongside teammates Mario Burke, Jacarias Martin and Cameron Burrell, Collins opened the relay as the first leg helping his team get out to what would eventually be a first place finish in 39.14. The time for the Cougars is the third fastest in the NCAA this season.
Collins has been a member of four separate 4x100-meter relay teams this season for Houston, which are all ranked among the nation's top-25 times.
The Newark, Del., native was back on the track a short while later to compete in his first 200-meter dash of the outdoor slate. Running among some of the world's best sprinters, Collins clocked a 20.77 to finish second overall and first among collegiate competitors, only finishing behind the 2016 World Champion in the 60-meter dash Trayvon Bromell. The time for Collins stands as the 13th best time in the nation, marking two events in which he holds top-15 times nationally including the sixth best 100-meter dash time at 10.21.
For Houston, Collins' award is the fifth of the outdoor season and his second in a span of three weeks. Junior Brian Barraza claimed the award last week after Collins and Selena Sierra swept the men's and women's award on March 29. Burke opened the outdoor season claiming the honor following the UTSA Invitational, and the Cougars have now won eight American Male Track Athlete of the Week honors after winning four during the indoor slate.
Senior Issac Williams claimed the final award of the indoor season on Feb. 23 as well as on Feb. 2, while Burrell earned the award on Jan. 19, after posting the top mark in the world at the time in the 60-meter dash.
NATIONALLY RANKED SIGNING CLASS
The Cougars made noise throughout the entire offseason when the men's signing class was ranked as the No. 2 class in the nation by Flotrack last July. The current freshmen on campus are led by three incoming student-athletes on the MileSplit All-American team. Marcus McWilliams (110m hurdles), Gerald Mills (200m) and John Lewis III (100m) all earned All-America honors, while distance runner Jahnavi Schneider was named as the No. 3 cross country recruit in the state of Texas by TxRunning.com.
UP NEXT FOR HOUSTON
Houston heads west to compete in the prestigious Mount Sac Relays on April 15-16. The 3-day meet begins April 14 with high school events, followed by the Mt. Sac Relays Distance Carnival and Invitational on Friday, and the Mt. SAC Collegiate Classic
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Players Mentioned
