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Kaycie Merrihew of Minnesota State and Terry Liggins of South Dakota have been named the North Central Conference Outdoor Track Athletes of the Week while Amber Hegge & Ben Walters of South Dakota and Bobbie Downs of Minnesota Duluth have been named the North Central Conference Outdoor Field Athletes of the Week.

Merrihew, a junior from Rio, Wis., won the NCC Heptathlon with a provisionally-qualifying score of 4,589 points.

Liggins, a senior from Omaha, Neb., ran the fastest 110-meter hurdles race in NCAA Division II competition this season when he finished second at the Ward Haylett Invitational in Manhattan, Kan. with a :13.89 clocking. The mark is an automatic qualifying performance for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Hegge, a freshman from Crofton, Neb., was a double winner over the weekend for the Coyotes. She had a season-best jump of 38-0 3/4 to win the triple jump and won the long jump with a leap of 17-8 1/4. The triple jump mark is a provisional-qualifying effort for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Walters, a junior from Lennox, S.D., was a double winner for the Coyotes at the USD Open on Sunday. Overall, he placed in the top five in four events during the weekend. Walters captured both the discus (153'07) and shot put (50'08.75) titles at the USD Open. Walters also finished second in the hammer throw (182'01). He also placed second (48'09) in the men's shot put and was fifth in the hammer throw (155'02) at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays.

Downs, a freshman from Chaska, Minn., won the pole vault at the St. Thomas Open with a lifetime personal-best height of 15-0.  

Others nominated: Track Male: Jared Clementson, Minnesota Duluth; Jonathan Skip Gilson, North Dakota; Kelvin Rodgers, Minnesota State. Track Female: Stephanie Gebhart, South Dakota; Renee Aune, North Dakota. Field Male: Matt Litzinger, North Dakota; Nick Wilson, Minnesota State. Field Female: Melissa Smith, Minnesota Duluth.