Jan. 27, 2009

WACO, Texas - Sophomore Tiffany Townsend was named the Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Female Athlete of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday.

Townsend receives her first-career weekly award and becomes the first Baylor athlete to be named athlete of the week since Lauren Hagans and Quentin Iglehart-Summers each earned the award on Jan. 15, 2008.

The All-American captured first-place finishes in the 60-meter dash (7.32) and 200-meter dash (23.41), while also helping Baylor's 4x400-meter relay team to a second-place showing (3:38.97) at the Razorback Invitational.

Townsend, who achieved three NCAA provisional qualifying marks at the meet, notched a personal-best time in the 60 meters. Her win in the 200 meters marked a school record at Baylor, which she set for the second straight week.

She ran the third leg for the Bears' 4x400-meter relay, splitting 53.6 seconds to lead Baylor to second place overall, the top collegiate team, to record Baylor's first NCAA provisional time since the 2007 season.

Baylor returns to action on Feb. 6-7 at the New Balance Invitational at The Armory in New York City.