Wright State's Grant, UIC's Banks, Detroit's Leahy, Bayles Named to #HLTF Weekly Honors

INDIANAPOLIS – Detroit sophomore Ryan Leahy (St. Joseph, Mich.) and Wright State senior Kacia Grant (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) have been named Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Runners of the Week while UIC junior Jordan Banks (Struthers, Ohio) and Detroit sophomore Ashley Bayles (Adrian, Mich.) have been named Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Athletes of the Week for the period of Jan. 6-12.

Leahy registered a personal best time of 8:40.64 in the 3,000 meter run at the EMU Triangular. His time, converted to 8:34.66, was good for a first-place finish in the field of 14 runners. Detroit competed against host Eastern Michigan, Michigan and Detroit.

Competing against six teams at the Buckeye Classic, the Raiders finished in third-place. Grant placed second and third in the 200-meter dash (26.14 seconds) and the 60-meter dash (7.79 seconds), respectively. Grant was also a part of the 4x400 relay team that placed third.

At the Lewis Open, Banks took home a first-place finish in the long jump and a second-place finish in the triple jump. His long jump of 6.83 meters was good for a .01 meter victory over teammate Seyi Ogunleye. In the triple jump, the Bolingbrook, Ill. native entered finals as the No. 1 seed with a mark of 14.40 meters. In the finals, Banks registered a distance of 12.89 meters, good for second-place.

Bayles registered a personal best and a top-13 weight throw distance in school history at the EMU Triangular. In the event, her mark of 14.38 meters was good for a six-place showing. In the shot put, her throw of 12.86 meters placed third. Both marks rank top-three in the Horizon League this season.

Detroit returns to action Jan. 17 at the Simmons-Harvey Invite in Ann Arbor, Mich. Wright State travels to Bloomington, Ind. for the Gladstein Invitational Jan. 23-24 while UIC travels to Milwaukee, Wis. on Jan. 23 for the Milwaukee Triangular.

Other Top Athletes of the Week:
Jordan Banks, UIC (Jr., Bolingbrook, Ill.) - Competing in the Lewis Open, Banks placed first in the long jump and second in the triple jump with marks of 6.83 meters and 14.40 meters, respectively.
Colin Cashner, Detroit (Sr., St. Louis, Mo.) - In his final throw of the night, Cashner saved his best for last at the EMU Triangular, registering a mark of 17.93 meters to take second-place. His distance ranks No. 2 in school history.
Nicholas Stack, Valparaiso (Fr., Hobart, Ind.) - Took first-place at the Lewis Open with a pole vault of 4.55 meters. The mark ranks No. 2 in school history. 
Megan Howdeshell, Valparaiso (Jr., Bourbon, Ind.) - Placed first and third in the shot put (11.65 meters) and weight throw (15.10 meters), respectively, at the Lewis Open.
Gabrielle Markley, Wright State (So., Beavercreek, Ohio) - Placed fourth in the high jump at the Buckeye Classic with a distance of 1.55 meters.
LaTreesha Washington, UIC (Jr., South Holland, Ill.) - Washington took home top honors in the pole vault with a mark of 3.17 meters at the Phoenix Invitational.

Other Top Runners of the Week:
Ahmed Osman, UIC (Fr, Abu Hamour, Doha, Qatar) - Opened his college career with a victory in the one-mile (4:51.94) at the Lewis Open. Osman also earned a third-place finish in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:10.18.
Ben Zibricky, Valparaiso (Fr., New Leonx, Ill.) - Earned his first collegiate title at the Lewis Open with a 2:03.38 in the 800 meter run, beating out the second place finisher by over four seconds.
Lauren Lindholm, UIC (Jr., Aurora, Ill.) - Placed second in the 3,000 meter run at the Lewis Open with a time of 10:44.80.
Hannah Reynard, Valparaiso (Fr., Jackson, Mich.) - In the 200 meter dash, placed first with a time of 27.10 seconds at the Lewis Open.

Indoor Athletes of the Week:
Dec. 2: Arnaldo Morales (Youngstown State); Jaynee Corbett (Youngstown State)
Jan. 6 Jordan Banks (UIC); Ashley Bayles (Detroit)

Indoor Runners of the Week:
Dec. 2: Bryce Stroede (Oakland); Nina Grambling (Youngstown State)
Jan. 6 Ryan Leahy (Detroit); Kacia Grant (Wright State)