Turner Named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in Track and Field

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NAIA MEN – Zach Turner, Doane (Neb.)

Senior | Hurdles
Crete, Nebraska

Strongs winds are rarely a hurdler's friend, but Zach Turner handled them seamlessly for a pair of victories at Neb.-Kearney's Central Nebraska Challenge on Friday.

First on his schedule was the 110-meter hurdles and Turner – the NAIA Indoor 60-meter hurdle champion this winter – rode a stiff 7.6 m/s tailwind to victory in 13.49 seconds. That's the fastest in NAIA history under any conditions but isn't allowable for a qualifying time as the wind reading exceeded the 4.0 m/s maximum.

A couple hours later he battled a lap of the strong breezes to win the 400-meter hurdles in 51.11, taking 0.06 seconds off his PR from finishing third in last year's NAIA Outdoor Championships. The time – fastest in the NAIA this year – also moved him up a notch to No. 5 all-time among NAIA athletes.

This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Doane has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season.