Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week (April 9)

4.9.19

INDIANAPOLIS – Familiar faces from Cedarville and Malone were honored with Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week awards as announced on Tuesday.  
 
Track Athlete of the Week
Carsyn Koch-Johnson
Cedarville
Middle Distance
Graduate Student
Washburn, ME (Washburn District HS)
 
Koch-Johnson provisionally qualified for outdoor nationals in her signature event, the 800-meter race, as the Yellow Jackets competed at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational in Cincinnati.
 
As a two-time NCAA champion in the 800 outdoor version (2016, 2017), Koch-Johnson earned indoor All-American honors in the event with a seventh-place finish in the finals.
 
With a time of 2:08.13, Koch-Johnson has the top time in the current outdoor season in the conference and is now ranked fifth in Division II.
 
She won the event in Cincinnati with a host of Division I runners in the field which comprised of 34 total student-athletes entered. 
 
Koch-Johnson’s decorated career in Cedarville includes a total of 22 conference athlete of the week awards including cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. 
 
Field Athlete of the Week
Olga Branney
Malone
Jumps 
Junior
Green, OH (Green HS)
 
Branney gives the Great Midwest two of the best jumpers in Division II along with Tiffin’s Marisa Gwinner after the Pioneers participated at the Mount Union Homon Invite over the weekend. 
 
Branney reached new heights to match Gwinner’s outdoor conference record with a height clearance of 1.73m (5’8”). 
 
Branney is now tied for fifth in all of Division II in the event as she looks to qualify for her first NCAA Championships experience. 
 
Branney is now one of three jumpers in the Great Midwest to provisionally qualify for outdoor nationals (Gwinner, Kirsten Camp – Tiffin). 
 
This is the junior’s sixth conference athlete of the week honor for her career.