Balouris, Gunzenhauser, Vegas Are CAA Athletes of the Week

William and Mary All-American Elaina Balouris (Allison Park, Pa.) opened the spring season last weekend with one of the nation's fastest times at 3,000m, and was rewarded for her efforts Tuesday with selection as the Colonial Athletic Association Track Athlete of the Week.  This is the eighth weekly honor of Balouris' career. At the Tribe Invitational on Saturday, the junior math major opened the day by finishing second behind teammate Katie Buenaga (Greenville, Del.) in the 1,500m run, finishing with a time of 4:34.65.  At the end of the day, she came back and won the 3,000m convincingly, running 9:37.79 to qualify for the ECAC Championships.  It is the fifth-fastest time in the nation so far this spring.

The William and Mary men's track and field team took home both weekly honors from the Colonial Athletic Association on Tuesday, as Rad Gunzenhauser (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Austin Vegas(Kernersville, N.C.) were honored for their exploits last weekend.  This is the second weekly award for Gunzenhauser, and the first of Vegas' young career. Gunzenhauser was named Track Athlete of the Week after he won the 10,000m at the Tribe Invitational on Friday night with a nation-leading time of 29:50.06.  His performance, in addition to being a lifetime-best by more than minute, qualifies the junior for the IC4A Championships.  Gunzenhauser now ranks 13th all-time at W&M in the long-distance event. Vegas was a co-winner of the Field Athlete of the Week award after opening his spring with an IC4A-qualifying jump of 4.80 meters (15-9) in the pole vault.  Vegas, who was declared the winner of the event on criteria over classmate Greg Gallagher (Elmsford, N.Y.), also had three solid attempts at a Tribe freshman-record of 4.91m (16-1).  Vegas is tied for seventh all-time at W&M outdoors in the pole vault (alongside Gallagher).