Mattox is Selected NWC Women's Track Student-Athlete of the Week

SALEM, ORE. -- Kimber Mattox (Jr., Bend, OR/Bend HS/Cornell Univ.) of Willamette University has been selected as the Northwest Conference Women's Track Student-Athlete of the Week for results during the week of April 11-17. It is the third time she has been chosen this season. Mattox previously received the honor on March 8 and April 5.

Mattox broke her own school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on April 14 as she achieved an NCAA Division III automatic qualifying time of 10:23.34 at the Mt. SAC Relays, hosted by Mount San Antonio College.

Her time was the seventh fastest in Division III history and broke her old school record of 10:38.05 by about 15 seconds. She was almost 20 seconds faster than the NCAA automatic standard of 10:43.10.

At the Mt. SAC Relays, Mattox placed sixth in the steeplechase. Her time was the fastest in Division III this season. Mattox was part of a high-quality women's steeplechase that featured 21 runners, mostly from NCAA Division I or running clubs.

Prior to becoming an automatic qualifier for the 2011 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Mattox was an NCAA provisional qualifier in two events.

She earned a provisional qualifying time of 10:47.17 in the steeplechase at the Willamette Opener on March 5. She added a provisional qualifying time of 17:10.28 in the 5,000-meter run at the Willamette Invitational on April 1.

With the automatic qualifying time secured, Mattox is guaranteed to receive a spot in the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships, set for May 26-28 at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. Mattox placed sixth in the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships in 2009 to earn All-America honors. She finished ninth in the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships in 2010.

Up next for the Bearcats will be the Northwest Conference Championships, set for Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23 at Linfield College. The action will get underway at Maxwell Field at 2 p.m. (PDT) on Friday and at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.