Ashley Matthews has been named Lee University's Female Athlete of the Week after capturing the lone win for the Lady Flames Outdoor Track squad at last weekend's Shorter Relays in Rome, Ga.
Matthews finished the 5000 meter run with a time of 18:51.2 to capture the first place finish. The junior from Sandford, N.C. flew past the competition topping runner-up Shea Spicher (Shorter) by nearly nine seconds.
"Ashley winning the 5000 meter and running a personal best was definitely the highlight of the day for the women's team," said Head Coach Caleb Morgan. "She executed her race plan perfectly, running controlled for the first four kilometers, and then she put a ten second gap over second place in the final kilometer. It was a lot of fun to watch and I'm really proud of the improvements she's made over the past year. That was definitely one of the best races she's ever run, including her All-American performance in the NAIA marathon last spring."
Matthews and the Lady Flames will run next at the Sea Ray Relays hosted by the University of Tennessee. The two-day event is Apr. 11-12 in Knoxville.
