April 18, 2007

CLEVELAND - After posting a regional-qualifying time in the 1,500 meters at the Miami Invitational, Miami University sophomore Pat Sovacool (Lakewood, Ohio/St. Ignatius) has been tabbed as the Mid-American Conference Track Athlete of the Week. It is the first weekly track honor of Sovacool's career.

Helping the RedHawks to a second-place finish at the 13th Miami Men's Track and Field Invitational, Sovacool regionally qualified in the 1,500 meters for the second straight season with his first-place time of 3:47.37. Just missing a personal-best performance in the event, Sovacool paced the field of 36 runners and eclipsed the regional-qualifying standard of 3:47.80.

Sovacool is the second RedHawk to regionally qualify this season, and his performance ranks among the top 50 nationally.

As the only Miami freshman to regionally qualify last season, Sovacool finished 13th at the 2006 NCAA MidEast Regional meet and will attempt to improve his placing at this year's meet, which runs May 25-26 in Columbia, Mo.

Sovacool is the first Miami track athlete to earn the MAC weekly honor since Dan Huling won the award on April 11, 2006. It is the second time Sovacool has been individually honored by the MAC, as he also was the named the MAC Runner of the Week (Sept. 26) during the cross country season after placing sixth at the Penn State Invitational.

Sovacool is the second Miamian honored during the outdoor track season for his individual performance, as senior Tom Herrmann earned MAC Field Athlete of the Week honors (April 6) after winning the high jump at the Southern Ohio Cup.

Sovacool and the RedHawks return to action this weekend (April 20-21) when they travel to the All-Ohio Championships in Cincinnati.