Wednesday, March 21, 2007

MACON, Ga. (March 21, 2007) - The outdoor track and field season just opened and it did not take long for ETSU star sprinter James Rainer (Alcoa, Tenn.) to add to his collection, as the Atlantic Sun conference tabbed him Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.

Rainer and the Bucs began outdoor competition in harsh weather conditions last weekend at the Charlotte 49er Classic. Despite the wet environment, he still set the fastest time on the track among the 52-man preliminary field on Friday with a 10.43 mark. Even though he finished second in the finals, Rainer inched one step closer to reaching the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season as his time in the prelims set a NCAA Regional qualifying mark.

This marks Rainer's fourth time he has won the award during the outdoor season and fifth overall for his career.  The education major was a three-time winner last season, and he also received the honor once during the 2006 indoor season.

The Atlantic Sun Athlete of the Week is announced every Wednesday during the 2007 track season.

The 12-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, UNF and Stetson with Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate beginning competition in 2007-08.