Johnson, Batu-Tiako Close Out Year with Player of the Month Laurels
Oskaloosa–The William Penn University Athletics Booster Club has announced the recipients of the May Player of the Month laurels.
Junior men’s track and field athlete Showalter Johnson (Nassau, Bahamas, New Media) earned the Male award, while senior women’s track and field athlete Abigaille Batu-Tiako (Plattsburgh, N.Y., Business Management) claimed the Female honor. The award is the second for both in their careers.
Johnson won the Heart of America Athletic Conference title in the 100-meter dash in 10.40 seconds, while also taking second in the 200-meter dash in 21.58 seconds.
The junior then broke the 100 school record twice at NAIA Nationals en route to an All-America award. He initially qualified for the finals with a time of 10.36 seconds and then bettered that mark at 10.26 to finish seventh overall. Johnson became the third William Penn All-American in the 100.
Batu-Tiako opened the month by winning the Heart’s 100 title in 12.34 seconds. She qualified for the finals with an even faster time of 12.10 seconds that broke the school record from 1985. The senior was also second in the long jump at the conference meet, breaking her own program mark with a jump of 19-0.
The long jump mark qualified her for nationals and at the national meet, Batu-Tiako placed eighth at 19-0. The mark helped her become WPU’s first female All-American since 2011 and the program’s first-ever long jump All-American.
