April 21, 2009
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of New Mexico senior Lee Emanuel has been selected as the Mountain West Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week the conference office announced today. Emanuel earned the award for the second straight week, giving him a school record three MWC Athlete of the Week awards in 2009. His five career MWC awards (indoor/outdoor) – all since 2008 – are three more than any other athlete in UNM history.
The New Mexico men have captured seven Athlete of the Week awards over the past three years after winning just six times from 2000-06.
Emanuel received the weekly honor after breaking a 30-year old school record and 13-year old Mt. SAC Relays record by running the fastest 1,500-meter time in the nation. The Hastings, England, product clocked a time of 3:37.99 to finish three seconds ahead of the runner-up in the elite invitational section of the event. Emanuel’s time is the second-fastest in MWC history, smashes his previous-best in the event by nearly three seconds and breaks Lobo All-American Kip Koskei’s 1979 record by 0.69 seconds.