PORTLAND, Ore. – Following a standout performance at the Myrle Hanson Open last Saturday, Hannah Cooper was selected as the GNAC Women's Field Athlete of the Week.
 
It was the first career Athlete of the Week from the conference for Cooper, who broke a pair of school records in Spearfish while earning an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the high jump.
 
"Hannah had an outstanding meet and seeing her succeed is heartwarming," said Yellowjacket head coach Jonathan Woehl. "She has overcome a lot of things to get to where she is now. Her hard-work mentality and positive attitude pushes all her teammates to improve too."
 
Just a week after becoming the school record holder in the indoor high jump, Cooper would improve upon her previous mark by over two inches, resetting the MSUB school record with a jump of 1.69m (5' 6"). Along with That leap would rank third best in the conference this season, and along with surpassing qualifying height, would tie for the 25^th best high jump in Division II this season. From there, Cooper would catapult to the top of another school record with her mark in the weight throw, with her throw of 16.85m (55' 3.5") also ranking as the top mark by any GNAC competitor this season in the event. She finished in first place for both events at the meet on Saturday, along with a 12^th place finish in the shot put, where her season best currently ranks seventh in the GNAC this season.
 
Cooper is set to compete next at the SDSU Open Meet hosted by South Dakota State University, which is scheduled to take place over two days from January 31 to February 1 at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. The full lineup of Yellowjacket track & field athletes will return to action on February 7 at the Stacy Dragila Invitational hosted by Idaho State in Pocatello, Idaho.