Coming off their success at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, freshman Joy Naukot and graduate student Sarah Tait have been named the WVU Student-Athletes of the Week. Read more: Naukot and Tait Awarded Student-Athletes of the Week
This honor comes after the Mountaineers finished 13th overall at the meet, with Naukot and Tait accounting for the team’s top performances.
Record Breakers
Naukot continued her successful freshman campaign with a dominant win in the 10,000-meter run, finishing with a time of 33:30.84. With this feat, Naukot became just the second Mountaineer in program history to win the 10,000-meter at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
Tait added to the Mountaineers’ success with a win in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Her time of 9:44.72 not only secured the victory, but also broke the meet record previously held by Colorado’s Emma Coburn since 2010.
While West Virginia did not win the Big 12 Outdoor Championships this past weekend, the efforts of Naukot and Tait did not go unnoticed. Their success, both over the weekend and throughout the season, has been a consistent driving force behind the Mountainneers’ strong performances.
Naukot’s Dominance
Naukot, a highly touted freshman from Kenya, has shown she can be a steady presence for the Mountaineers. She has had notable top finishes this season, finishing in third place in the women’s 6k at the Big 12 conference championship. With a finishing time of 19:18.1, she became the fastest freshman in program history at that distance.
With all the success she has had this season, the NCAA named Naukot a First Team All-American. The Big 12 Conference recognized her as the Women’s Newcomer of the Year.
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Tait’s Impact
Sarah Tait, now in her second year at West Virginia, has continued to demonstrate the value and impact she brings to the Mountaineers, showcasing why she was an important addition to the roster.
During the indoor season, she was among the selected to be a part of the All-Big 12 first team and the CSC All-Academic team. The highlight of her indoor season came when she was a member of the distance medley relay team, where she helped the Mountaineers win first place at the Big 12 Championships.
Since the indoor season ended, Tait has been able to carry that success over to the outdoor track. Aside from her success this past weekend, Tait has had multiple top finishes throughout the outdoor season.
One of her best finishes came when she placed 13th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA East Preliminary round, where she had her then-season-best time of 10:08.86. With this finish and many others, the CSC once again named Tait to the All-Academic Team.
With the Big 12 Outdoor Championships now complete, the Mountaineers will await their seeding for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, hosted by North Florida from May 28–31 at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.
For Naukot and Tait, they both will look to continue the success they recently garnered. They, too, will have to wait for their seeding, but once the NCAA finalizes the selections, the East preliminary rounds will offer another opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage.
