TRAFFORD, Pa. – Washington & Jefferson College senior Maria Gilles (North Ridgeville, Ohio/Lake Ridge Academy) and freshman Abigael Nicolas (Monongahela, Pa./Ringgold) has been selected as the Presidents' Athletic Conference Women's Track & Field Athletes of the Week, as announced by the conference on Tuesday (Feb. 3).
 
Gilles was selected as the PAC Women's Track & Field Track Athlete of the Week. Gilles contributed to two W&J program records being shattered at the Youngstown State Mid-Major Invitational. She teamed with Myleigh Mashburn (Monongahela, Pa./Ringgold), Cali LaRue (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) and Claire Anderson (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown) for a record-breaking performance in the distance medley relay, as the unit shattered the program record by more than 25 seconds with a time of 12:22.49 to finish third overall. That time also places the relay second in the Mid-Atlantic Region and fifth in the country. On day two of the Invitational, Gilles raced her way to a sixth-place finish in the 800 with a W&J women's indoor record time of 2:20.14, which is also the top time in the PAC and ninth in the Region. Gilles additionally helped the W&J 4x400 relay team take 10th with a time of 4:23.96.
 
Nicolas was selected as the PAC Women's Field Athlete of the Week. Nicolas flashed on day two of the YSU Mid-Major Invitational. The freshman highlighted the day with a personal-best jump of 1.55m/5-1 in the high jump to finish second, a mark which currently ranks in a tie for third in the conference. Nicholas also placed 16th in the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 10.22m/33-6.50, placing her fourth in the conference this year.
 
W&J track & field returns to the indoor track on Saturday (Feb. 7) for a split day between the Denison University Bob Shannon Invitational and the Sykes & Sabock Challenge at Penn State University.