OFFICIAL SOUTHLAND RELEASE
NEW ORLEANS – Distance runners
Sophia Wolf and
Alexandra Weir each picked up Southland superlatives with the announcement of the league's indoor awards on Thursday afternoon.
Wolf was named Southland Indoor Newcomer of the Year after an outstanding indoor campaign. Wolf won the Southland's 800 meter championship by 2.11 seconds over McNeese State's Kayla Warner and was the third leg of the Privateers' Southland championship winning DMR squad.
The highlight of Sophia's season came when the graduate student finished her 800 meter run at the Samford invitational in 2:08.71 breaking a 23 year old school record in the process. At the time the mark ranked No. 2 in the South Central region and No. 16 on the NCAA's performance list.
The graduate student has won four races (600M LSU Purple Tiger, 800M Samford Invitational, 800M Southland Indoor Championships, DMR Southland Indoor Championships), and set two school records (600M, 800M) in her first year of Track and Field on the Lakefront.
The New Orleans distance program has put together a strong run of newcomers recently. Last season
Rebecca DeKay was named Southland Outdoor Newcomer of the Year, while
Tshwanelo Maruping and
Jayden Sloan swept the Southland Newcomer of the Year awards for 2023.
Weir became the first student-athlete in school history, male or female, to win an Outstanding Events Performer award from the Southland. Weir was named Outstanding Running Events Performer after picking up 26 points in Birmingham at the Southland Championships.
The five-time All-Southland indoor runner won the gold medal in the mile with a time of 5:01.12 - her second gold medal in two days. The first came in thrilling fashion on the opening night of the Southland Championships – Weir was able to overtake star runner Nia Clatworthy of Lamar on the final leg of the women's DMR by .25 seconds giving UNO its first Southland Conference Championship in the DMR.
ASSISSTANT TRACK AND FIELD COACH CLAYTON O'CALLAGHAN
"Nobody deserves the Southland Newcomer of the Year award more than Sophia. We challenged her to step out of her comfort zone at the conference championships and she responded how a champion should. From cross country, to indoors, to the start of our outdoor season - she impresses me every time she runs. I'm excited to see what she can do going forward."
"Alex is a gamer – that's all you can say about her. You look at her career and it's full of memorable performances, and to see her indoor career conclude the way it did was amazing. She never lets the moment get too big and always finds a way to put herself in a position to be successful. This award couldn't go to a better representative of what it means to be a Privateer."
WE ARE YOUR KREWE
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests. Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win. Our city also houses the nation's biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play, and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day. Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe!
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