INDIANAPOLIS – Nationally-ranked programs from Findlay and Tiffin secured the first set of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week awards on Tuesday. 
 
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Lenell Shelby III
Findlay
Junior
Sprints/Hurdles
Mansfield, OH (Ontario HS)
 
Shelby III was a provisional qualifier in the 400-meter hurdles as the Oilers competed at the adidas Winthrop Invitational in South Carolina. 
 
Shelby III’s time of 52.93 is ninth best in the conference outdoor record books and currently ranks fifth nationally early in the 2019 season. He finished second in the event. 
 
Shelby III’s impact went beyond the 400 hurdles as he and three teammates shattered the conference 4x400 relay record. Shelby III with Jaye Williams, Lane Kolb and indoor All-American Xavier Marable, clocked a 3:15.30.
 
That time eclipsed the Ohio Dominican foursome of Amir Metts, Draven Bass, Chad Ellis and Justin Carroll, set at last year’s conference championships. 
 
Also, in the 4x100 relay, Shelby III, Williams, Zack Jellison and Ethan Pensante, recorded the third-fastest time with a 42.14. The overall record is 42.10, again held by Ohio Dominican in two different meets. 
 
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Nikolas Curtiss
Tiffin
Sophomore
Throws
Lancaster, OH (Lancaster HS)
 
After standing tall as an NCAA indoor All-American in the shot put, Curtiss started his first outdoor campaign with the conference on a high note at the Blizzard Buster in Oxford, Ohio. 
 
Curtiss provisionally qualified in the shot put and set a new conference record in the event with a distance of 18.08m (59’4”). He currently ranks second in Division II through the first weeks of 2019. 
 
Curtiss broke the previous standard held by Findlay’s Dequan Lovell, who had seven of the league’s best top-10 distances going into the outdoor season. 
 
At the Blizzard Buster, Curtiss also finished third in the hammer throw and he competed in the discus.