FRISCO, Texas - Freshman javelin thrower Jaimee Springer became the first Nicholls State University track and field athlete to be named Southland Conference Athlete of the Week for the outdoor season the league office announced on Wednesday.

Springer, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, qualified for the Canadian Junior National Championships with a season and career-best throw of 44.71 m (146 ft., 8.0 in.) to win the javelin competition at the Cole-Lancoln Invitational last Saturday in Lafayette, La. Springer's throw is the second-best mark in the conference this season and the 62nd-best mark in the nation.

Springer becomes the first Nicholls athlete of the outdoor season to win athlete of the week honors.  The last Colonel athlete to win athlete of the week was senior distance runner Lauren Jones, who took home the conference's first athlete of the week award of the indoor season on Jan. 19.  This week's award is the first weekly award of Springer's career.