KINGSVILLE, Texas – A solid performance at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships over the weekend brought several highlights for the program as five members received First Team All-America distinction, but it was freshman Valentin Charles (Rennes, France) and senior Racheal Somoye (Houston, Texas) who shined the brightest as the pair were named IBC Bank Players of the Week for their efforts.

Charles was crowned the national champion in the heptathlon at the indoor championships as he posted the fourth-highest point total in Division-II history to claim the top spot on the podium. He earned 5642 points at the Harvey Dean Track to best a field featuring 10 finishers with over 5000 points.

The Rennes, France, native entered day two of competition with a score of 3252 with just three events remaining, taking his best finish in the 60m hurdles at 8.38 to add 888 points to his tally.

The Lyceé Sévigné product took his spot on the Mount Rushmore of indoor multi-athletes as he leapfrogged Spencer Jahr of Colorado Mesa to claim the fourth-best performance in NCAA Division II.

Somoye, meanwhile, saved her final throw for her best of the indoor season as she took sixth in the weight throw at the NCAA Championships. Her first toss of 19.44m (63-9.50) broke the previous record of 19.32m (63-4.75) she originally set at the Crimson & Golf Invitational back in December 2018, but eclipsed the 20-meter mark on the last toss to close out her distinguished indoor career.

The Houston native's sixth heave went 20.05m (65-9.50) to put herself in the top sixth and bring home yet another First Team All-America honor from the USTFCCCA.

The Javelina track and field program has the weekend off but will kick off the outdoor portion on March 22 at the annual Cactus Cup at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium. The men's program will begin their title defense that ends at home in the NCAA Division-II Outdoor Championships in Kingsville, Texas, while the women's program looks to gain ground in the national standings after finishing 24th in the indoor championships.
 

2018-19 IBC Bank Players of the Week
Week	Male	Female
1 – Aug. 29	---	Madison Brabham (VB)
2 – Sept. 5	Koy Detmer Jr. (FB)	Madison Brabham (VB)
3 – Sept. 12	Nick Pelrean (FB)	Haley Hutchinson (VB)
4 – Sept. 19	Devonte Williams (FB)	Lisa Carvajal (WTEN)
5 – Sept. 26	Payton Hendrix (FB)	Emily North (VB)
6 – Oct. 3	Ricky Medrano (XC)	Madison Brabham (VB)
7 – Oct. 10	Jordan Semanat (FB)	Madison Brabham (VB)
8 – Oct. 17	Brandon Jones (FB)	Madison Brabham (VB)
9 – Oct. 24	Koy Detmer Jr. (FB)	Madison Brabham (VB)
10 – Oct. 31	Nick Pelrean (FB)	Kristina Gutierrez (GOLF)
11 - Nov. 7	Aaron Dilworth (FB)	Haley Hutchinson (VB)
12 - Nov. 14	Tre'Michael Tutt (FB)	Madison Brabham (VB)
13 - Nov. 21	Robert Stevenson (MBB)	Brynae Thompson (WBB)
14 - Nov. 28	Jamell Bradley (MBB)	Brynae Thompson (WBB)
15 - Dec. 5	Chauncey Thomas (MBB)	Cloe Lane (WBB)
16 - Dec. 12	Richard Cervantes (T&F)	Racheal Somoye (T&F)
17 - Dec. 19	Robert Stevenson (MBB)	Casey Klobedans (VB)
18 - Dec. 26	John Mouton (MBB)	Cloe Lane (WBB)
19 - Jan. 9	Darius Mickens (MBB)	Brynae Thompson (WBB)
20 - Jan. 16	Richard Cervantes (T&F)	Bri-Anna Soliz (WBB)
21 - Jan. 23	Robert Stevenson (MBB)	Danielle Meador (WBB)
22 - Jan. 30	Richard Cervantes (T&F)	Brynae Thompson (WBB)
23 - Feb. 6	Valentin Charles (T&F)	Saidi Castillo (SB)
24 - Feb. 13	Richard Cervantes (T&F)	Saidi Castillo (SB)
25 - Feb. 20	Valentin Charles (T&F)	Racheal Somoye (T&F)
26 - Feb. 27	Giancarlo Servin (BSB)	Valerie Ruiz (WTEN)
27 - Mar. 6	John Mouton (MBB)	Saidi Castillo (SB)

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