Alaka Named Gohuskies.com Student-Athlete Of The Week
May 16, 2011
SEATTLE – Husky sophomore track and field athlete James Alaka has been named the Gohuskies.com Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of May 9-15. This is the seventh such honor for track and field and the fifth for the men’s side. Kale Schmidt (Jan. 17), Chelsea Orr (Feb. 21), James Cameron (Mar. 7), Scott Roth (Mar. 14, Apr. 18), and Jordan Carlson (May 2) have also won the award for track and field.
Alaka also was honored as Pac-10 Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for the week of April 4-10, the first Husky male to win the honor since 2008.
The London, England native made his way into Husky history at the Pac-10 Track & Field Championships, as he captured the 100-meter dash and shortly thereafter came back and was victorious in the 200-meter dash as well. Alaka, the London native, stakes his claim now as the fastest man in the Pac-10, becoming the first Husky since Ja'Warren Hooker in 2000 to win both sprint titles.
Alaka claimed his first title in the 100-meters, as he accelerated through the middle of the track and leaned across the line for the win in 10.29 seconds, edging Arizona State's Ryan Milus who was second in 10.34.
In the 200-meters, just an hour after the 100m final, Alaka was in the middle of the pack coming off the curve. But he hit top speed down the homestretch and just caught up to USC's Joey Hughes, the 400-meter champion, passing him at the line to win in a time of 20.85 compared to Hughes' time of 20.87.
From here, Alaka and the Huskies will move onto NCAA Preliminary Rounds May 26-28 in Eugene, Ore. in pursuit of the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 8-11 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Other nominees include: Troy Scott (baseball), men’s crew varsity 8, women’s crew varsity 4, Kaitlin Inglesby (softball), Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Kyle McMorrow (men’s tennis), Venise Chan (women’s tennis) and Megan Goethals (women’s track and field).
| 2010-11 Gohuskies.com Student-Athlete's Of The Week | |
| May 16 | James Alaka (Men's Track & Field) |
| May 9 | Sadena Parks (Women's Golf) |
| May 2 | Jordan Carlson (Women's Track & Field) |
| April 25 | Varsity 8+ (Men's Crew) |
| April 18 | Scott Roth (Men's Track & Field) |
| April 11 | Aaron West (Baseball) |
| April 4 | Aliza Vaccher (Gymnastics) |
| March 28 | Chris Williams (Men's Golf) |
| March 21 | Samantha Walior (Gymnastics) |
| March 14 | Scott Roth (Men's Track & Field) |
| March 7 | James Cameron (Men's Track & Field) |
| Feb. 27 | Kyle McMorrow (Men's Tennis) |
| Feb. 21 | Chelsea Orr (Women's Track & Field) |
| Feb. 14 | Niki Williams (Softball) |
| Feb. 7 | Samantha Walior (Gymnastics) |
| Jan. 31 | Denise Dy (Women's Tennis) |
| Jan. 24 | Matthew Bryan-Amaning (Men's Basketball) |
| Jan. 17 | Kale Schmidt (Men's Track & Field) |
| Jan. 10 | Kristi Kingma (Women's Basketball) |
| Jan. 3 | Mason Foster (Football) |
| Dec. 27 | Isaiah Thomas (Men's Basketball) |
| Dec. 20 | Scott Suggs (Men's Basketball) |
| Dec. 13 | Kindra Carlson (Volleyball) |
| Dec. 6 | Chris Polk (Football) |
| Nov. 29 | Chris Polk (Football) |
| Nov. 22 | Allie Beahan (Women's Soccer) |
| Nov. 15 | Jorde LaFontaine-Kussmann (Women's Soccer) |
| Nov. 8 | Kindra Carlson (Volleyball) |
| Oct. 25 | Valaree Fowler (Men's Crew) |
| Oct. 18 | Jermaine Kearse (Football) |
| Oct. 11 | Jorde LaFontaine-Kussmann (Women's Soccer) |
| Oct. 4 | Jake Locker (Football) |
| Sept. 27 | Karinn Dickinson (Women's Golf) |
| Sept. 20 | Stephen Fung (Men's Soccer) |
| Sept. 13 | Jermaine Kearse (Football) |
| Sept. 6 | Kate Deines (Women's Soccer) |
| Aug. 30 | Kindra Carlson (Volleyball) |
| Aug. 23 | Kellye Joswick (Women's Soccer) |
