Week 6: GPAC Men's Outdoor T&F Athletes of the Week

(Sioux City, Iowa) – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and Hauff Mid-America Sports are proud to announce the following men's outdoor track & field athletes-of-the-week for events held April 21 – April 27, 2025. Hauff Mid-America Sports is the presenting sponsor of the 2024-2025 GPAC Players-of-the-Week and Players and Coaches-of-the-Year awards program. 

Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Athletes-of-the-Week

Field Events – Robert Atwater, Midland University

Robert Atwater from Midland University is this week's men's field athlete-of-the-week. Atwater, a senior from Detroit, Michigan, won the long jump and was runner-up in the high jump at the Drake Relays over the weekend. He reached the NAIA A Standard in both events, clearing 2.12m in the high jump and leaping 7.43m in the long jump. He nearly won both events, missing out on the high jump crown by judge's decision (misses). He currently ranks fourth in the night jump and fourth in the long jump nationally. This season he has also reached the NAIA B Standard in the triple jump (14.67m, 19th) and is nearly the standard in the pole vault (4.65m, 21st).

Track Events – Zach Turner, Doane University

Zach Turner of Doane University is this week's men's track athlete-of-the-week. Turner, a senior from Crete, Nebraska, continues to improve each week, posting the top times in the NAIA for the 110m hurdles and the 400m hurdles. He won the 400m hurdles at the Drake Relays with a school record time of 50.81 (the first sub-51 seconds race) with the next four finishers coming from NCAA D1 schools. He posted a time of 13.66 in the prelims of the 110m hurdles and finished third in the finals with a time of 13.84 as the only non-NCAA D1 competitor in the finals. Doane also competed as the only NAIA team in the 4x110m Shuttle Hurdles Relay, breaking the school record with a time of 58.32 and Turner anchoring the team.