TCU’s Ronnie Baker has been named the first Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Male Athlete of the Week of 2016, and Oklahoma’s Julia Reedy and Texas’ Asa Garcia earn a share of the female award. All three athletes posted top marks in the nation in their respective events en route to earning the weekly honors. Baker grabs his first outdoor Athlete of the Week, however, he had twice been named Indoor Athlete of the Week for his achievements in the 60m dash, where he is the two-time defending national champion. It is the first weekly award win for both Reedy who was an All-American in 2015 and Garcia who is a freshman.

BIG 12 TRACK & FIELD MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Ronnie Baker, TCU, 100m, Sr., Louisville, Ky.
Coming back from winning his second-straight NCAA 60 meter title, Baker opened up the outdoor season with a wind-aided time of 9.95 in the 100-meter dash at the TCU Invitational, good for a first-place finish. His time is currently the fastest on the 2016 NCAA Division I Qualifying List. Though his time was wind-aided, Baker finished 0.34 seconds ahead of his closest competitor at the event. His 6.47 seconds finish in the 60m at the indoor championships was the best in the nation this season and the third fastest collegian effort all-time behind Leonard Myles-Mills (6.45) and Marcus Brunson (6.46).

BIG 12 TRACK & FIELD FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Julia Reedy, Oklahoma, Hammer, Sr., Dove Canyon, Calif./Saddleback College
Reedy opened her 2016 outdoor season with a school record on the first throw in the hammer competition at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. Her season opening and winning throw went 219-2 (66.81). Reedy owned the previous school record with a 211-4 (64.41) that she posted in 2015. The senior currently ranks as the best hammer throw in the country after first week of the season. She had another throw on her third attempt that also would have broken her previous school record as well.

Asa Garcia, Texas, Triple Jump, Fr., Texas City, Texas
Garcia had an impressive freshman indoor season for the Texas Longhorns and has already carried that over to outdoors. The triple jumper opened her outdoor campaign with a leap of 12.91 meters (42-4.25) to win the competition at the TCU Invitational over Baylor’s Rachel Toliver by a close margin of just four centimeters. The jump also was top in the nation for the first week of the outdoor season and already ranks Garcia as No. 6 in school history.

2016 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week