April 25, 2006

CLEVELAND - After turning in a pair of first-place performances at last weekend's Southern Ohio Cup, Miami University senior Kyle Kraus (Kingsville, Ontario) has been named the Mid-American Conference's Field Athlete of the Week. He is the first Miami men's field athlete this season to earn the weekly conference award.

Kraus was the only Miami athlete to post multiple individual wins at last weekend's meet with Ohio and Cincinnati, as he turned in first-place performances in both the javelin and triple jump. Kraus tallied a first-place distance of 174-10 in the javelin and added a season- and career-best distance of 44-7 in the triple jump. The pair of victories gave Kraus his second and third individual wins of the season.

Kraus also added a third-place finish in the high jump at the Southern Ohio Cup, leaping a season-best 6-8 3/4. Kraus' three top-three finishes helped Miami finish second in the triangular, only 31 points behind first-place Cincinnati.

The weekly conference honor is the first of Kraus' career and the third for Miami this season. Senior Dan Huling (Geneva, Ill.) previously was named the MAC Track Athlete of the Week on March 28 and April 8. Kraus also is the first Miami field athlete to be named the conference's athlete of the week since Ceith Creekmur (Naperville, Ill.) earned the award on March 22, 2005.

Kraus and the RedHawks have a week off before resuming competition May 5 at the Billy Hayes Invitational in Bloomington, Ind.