University Park, Pa. — Following an NCAA automatic-qualifying performance in the 200-meters at the Penn State National, Nittany Lion senior Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.) has been named Big Ten Athlete of the Week, announced by the conference on Monday. Greaves enjoyed a pair of second-place finishes against elite competition over the weekend, and also helped her team to victory in the 4x400-meter relay.
The senior kicked off the two-day competition with a season-best effort of 7.33 in the 60-meter dash on Friday night, finishing second overall and tops among collegians. Greaves' performance is tied for the ninth fastest in the Division I.
Greaves posted an auto qualifier in her first 200 appearance of the season last Saturday, finishing second on the afternoon by the narrowest of margins. Greaves' 23.18 was second-to-only the 23.17 run by Central Florida's Aurieyall Scott. The pair of auto marks are the fourth, and fifth fastest in Division I this year. The senior would come back to run an outstanding third leg on the women's 4x400, combining with teammates Doris Anyanwu (Beltsville, Md.), Megan Duncan (North Huntingdon, Pa.) and Ije Iheoma (Holland, Pa.) to run 3:37.25 - the fourth fastest effort in the NCAA. Greaves efforts in the 60 and 200, as well as the 4x400's performance, currently stand as the top marks in the conference.
Greaves and the Nittany Lions will be back in action this weekend at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup, set for Saturday, February 5, at 9:00 a.m. The Nittany Lions will also host their first annual fundraiser for breast cancer research - Run Pink, Jump Pink, Throw Pink - in conjunction with the competition.