May 8, 2007

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference today announced that Bemidji State University's Shelby Hougen (Jr., Bemidji, Minn.) has been selected as Female Athlete of the Week for her outstanding effort at the Ron Masanz Invitational May 5.

Hougen earned a trio of second place finishes on the track last weekend in the wet and windy conditions in Moorhead, Minn. She equaled her own school-record and provisional qualifying time in the 400-meter hurdles of 1:03.05 while participating on BSU’s 4x100-meter (50.70) and 4x400-meter (4:04.68) relay teams which also each finished second.

She currently stands at No. 2 on the NSIC's 400-meter hurdle list and has posted the nation's 29th-fastest time in the event.

While the conference honor is the first of Hougen's career, she is the the fifth BSU's track and field athlete to be selected for the award this outdoor season. She follows, Sheena Devine (Jr., Harris, Minn.), Nicole Friend (Sr., International Falls, Minn.) and Zac Preble (Fr., Coleraine, Minn.), who has twice been named as Field Athlete of the Week this spring, league a league honoree this spring.

The 2007 outdoor campaign continues this weekend (May 11-12) as the BSU men's and women' track and field teams head to Moorhead, Minn. for the 2007 NSIC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

2007 NSIC Track and Field Honorees
Indoor:
Joe Remitz, Men’s Field Athlete of the Week, 1/30/07
Sheena Devine, Women’s Field Athlete of the Week, 2/7/07
Zac Preble, Men’s Field Athlete of the Week, 2/13/07
Todd Zeidler, Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, 2/13/07

Outdoor:
Sheena Devine, Women’s Field Athlete of the Week, 4/17/07
Zac Preble, Men’s Field Athlete of the Week, 4/17/07
Nicole Friend, Women's Field Athlete of the Week, 5/1/07
Zac Preble, Men's Field Athlete of the Week, 5/1/07

--bsu--