Jan. 30, 2007

BEAUMONT - After shattering the Southland Conference record in the 3,000 meter run on Saturday, Lamar's Francis Kasagule was named Southland Conference Aeropostale Track and Field Athlete of the week.

This is Kasagule's second athlete of the week honor this season, and the third week in a row that Lamar has had an athlete earn the award. Kasagule and Clerc Koenck were honored on January 16, and Renee Graham was honored last week.

A freshman from Gayhza, Uganda, Kasagule shattered the 25-year old Southland Conference record in the men's 3,000 meter run, posting a 7:57.91 at the Terrier Invitational in Boston, Mass. The time is an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and is the fifth fastest time in the NCAA so far this season.

Previously, the fastest time in SLC history was 8:07.44 by William Wilkinson of Louisiana-Lafayette in 1982. Kasagule's time also breaks the Lamar school record, which he set earlier this season.

Kasagule and the rest of the Lamar University men's and women's track and field teams will be in action again on Friday and Saturday when they run at the Houston Invitational, hosted by the University of Houston.