WHITEFISH and LA GRANDE, Ore. -- University of Providence student-athletes Jillian Sanchez and Tatum Sparks collected player of the week honors in indoor track and field and women's wrestling, respectively, on Monday.
Sanchez, a San Bernardino, Calif. native, was named the Frontier Conference's women's indoor field athlete of the week. The thrower earned a pair of top-10 finishes at the Myrle Hanson Open in Spearfish, S.D., an event hosted by Black Hills State University. Sanchez finished fourth in the women's weight throw with a mark of 15.40 meters, while placing eighth in the shot put at 11.29 meters.
A trio Rocky Mountain College athletes -- Sydney Little Light, Michael Lee and Isaac Petsch -- captured the other three Frontier Conference indoor track and field weekly honors.
Sparks earned the Cascade Collegiate Conference's women's wrestler of the week award after going unbeaten over the weekend. The senior from Othello, Wash. is ranked No. 2 in the 155-pound division and bested No. 16 Dempsi Talkington of Eastern Oregon with a 10-0 victory, then added a win via pin over No. 4 Gladdys Palma of Southern Oregon.
"She's very consistent," Providence head coach Carlene Sluberski said in a UP release. "She shows up to compete every match. She works hard in the room and it shows every time she steps up to the mat."
"Being on the top of the podium at the end of the year is one of her goals," Sluberski continued. "She's more than capable of doing that. She just has to show up and perform like she has all year. It'll be exciting to see."
