Illinois, Iowa, and Penn State Garner Weekly Women’s Indoor Track and Field Accolades

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week for the week of Jan 15-22, 2025.  

Track Athlete of the Week  
Hayley Kitching, Penn State 
Junior – Sprints – Coffs Harbour, Australia – Major: Division of Undergraduate Studies 

• Recorded a 1,000 meter time of 2:39.86 to win the Nittany Lion Challenge by over three seconds. 
• Her time is the third-fastest indoor 1,000 meter run by a collegian on a 200-m track and ranks first in the NCAA this season. 
• Kitching also came back and ran the second leg of the 4x400-meter relay team that clocked a 3:40.35, the 29^th-fastest time in the NCAA so far this season. 
• Last Penn State Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week: Kileigh Kane (Feb. 21, 2024) 

Field Athlete of the Week 
Rose Yeboah, Illinois 
Senior – Jumps – Kumasi, Ghana – Major: Undecided 

• Won the high jump at the Hoosier Horsepower Classic with a mark of 1.91m (6-3 ¼) 
• Her mark is a new Illinois school record and is the current leading mark in the NCAA. 
• Last Illinois Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week: Tacoria Humphrey (Jan. 15, 2025) 

Freshman of the Week 
Chioma Nwachukwu, IOWA 
Freshman – Sprints – Asaba, Nigeria – Major: Open 

• Won the Hawkeye Invitational 400 meters with a time of 53.32. 
• Her time is currently first in the Big Ten, first among freshman, seventh-fastest in program history, and seventh in NCAA Division I. 
• She also contributed to Iowa’s winning 4x400 meter relay team that finished 3:47.41 as the third leg. 
• Last Iowa Women’s Indoor Track & Field Freshman the Week: Pauline Bikembo (Dec. 18, 2024) 

2024-25 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week 

Dec. 11 
Track: Silan Ayyildiz, ORE 
Field: Anthonett Nabwe, MINN 
Freshman:  Simone Cooper, MD 

Dec. 18 
Track: Zoe Sullivan, PUR 
Field: Jenna Rogers, NEB 
Field: Daniela Wamokpego, IOWA 
Freshman: Pauline Bikembo, IOWA 

Jan. 15 
Track: Zoe Sullivan, PUR 
Field: Tacoria Humphrey, ILL 
Field: Anthonett Nabwe, MINN 
Freshman: Abigail Russell, MICH 

Jan. 22 
Track: Hayley Kitching, PSU 
Field: Rose Yeboah, ILL 
Freshman: Chioma Nwachukwu, IOWA