Natalie Bitetti Captures SCIAC Athlete of the Week Accolades for Athenas Track and Field

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Natalie Bitetti of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's track and field team earned the SCIAC Track Athlete of the Week for events through Sunday, April 7, the conference office announced today.

Bitetti earned the honor after breaking the CMS record in the 1500 meters on Saturday at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational. Bitetti's time of 4:26.59 was second at the invitational, first among collegiate competitors, and surpassed the old CMS record held by Bryn McKillop by .13. 

Bitetti's honor was her first ever for the CMS track and field team (she studied abroad last spring and didn't compete) after winning the SCIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Week Award eight times in her career, which culminated in a second-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships in the fall. She was also second at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 3000 meters last month. 

It marks the fifth time this season that CMS women's track and field has been honored by the SCIAC. Josephine Jett (twice) and Laura Zimmer have earned the SCIAC Track Athlete of the Week, while Antonia Hekster earned the SCIAC Field Athlete of the Week two weeks ago. 

CMS will be back in action this week when it competes at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific from Thursday-Saturday, and at a SCIAC Multi-Dual hosted by Whittier on Saturday.