Feb. 21, 2006

IRVING, Texas - Memphis thrower J.D. Erickson has been named the Conference USA Male Athlete of the Week for February 21, it was announced by the conference office Tuesday. The award is the second-career C-USA weekly accolade for Erickson, who picked up his first honor on February 22, 2005.

Erickson received the Athlete of the Week recognition after logging a pair of victories at the SEMO Invitational over the weekend. The Memphis native took home top honors in the weight throw as well as the shot put with marks of 60-08.75" and 54-07.50", respectively.

Erickson will hope this season's AOW honor translates to results similar to those that followed his last honor, as, after the 2005 award, he proceeded to win the shot put and place second in the weight throw the next weekend at the Conference USA Indoor Championships.

The senior will look for more of the same this year, as he enters the this weekend's C-USA Indoor Championships ranked first in the conference in the shot put and third in the weight throw.

Erickson and the rest of the Tiger and Lady Tiger squads will head to Houston, Texas, Thursday morning in preparation for the conference meet, which begins Friday. Competition is set to get underway at 9:00 a.m. Friday with the heptathlon and pentathlon. Field events are scheduled to commence at 1:00 p.m. with running events to begin at 6:00 p.m.