Faith Thompson

BUFFALO, NY—For the fourth time during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, the University at Buffalo’s Faith Thompson (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) was named the Mid-American Conference’s Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Week. The league announced the award on Wednesday at its headquarters in Cleveland.

Thompson, a fifth-year senior psychology major with a 3.973 grade point average, broke two stadium records in leading the UB women’s track and field team to the title of the Ohio Invitational on April 2. Thompson won the hammer throw with a toss of 186-0 (56.70m), breaking the stadium mark set by UB’s Sarah Fletcher in 2002. Thompson also took first place in the shot put at 47-5.25 (14.46m). Both of Thompson’s throws were NCAA regional qualifying marks. She has posted regional qualifying marks in both events in all three of UB’s meets during the outdoor season.

UB athletes have been honored as the MAC Male or Female Scholar Athlete of the Week 13 times during the 2004-05 academic year, more than any other league member. Thompson has earned the award four times this season, the most by a UB athlete. Men’s basketball player Turner Battle (Kernersville, NC/East Forsyth) was selected three times while women’s cross country runner Jenny Koeppel (Amherst, NY/Amherst) and women’s swimmer Jennefer Brankovsky (Toronto, Ontario/Don Mills CI) twice earned the honor. Men’s basketball player Mark Bortz (Commerce Township, MI/Walled Lake Central) and men’s swimmer Mark Sy (Scarborough, Ontario/Mary Ward CSS) were selected once this season.

The MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honor is presented to both a MAC male and female student-athlete who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and performs well during that week's competition. The winners are selected by a voting group of the conference's faculty athletic representatives.