WINNIPEG, MB. – The Manitoba Bison Athletes of the Week are Kearley Abbott and Oyinko Akinola.
Kearley Abbott plays on the Bison women’s volleyball team. The Bisons swept an important home-and-home series against crosstown rival Winnipeg as they continue battling for a playoff spot. Bison second year right side, Abbott, led the way during the two match wins.
Abbott produced 35 kills (on .413 hitting percentage) with 20 digs, three total blocks, one assist, one service ace and 36.5 points while starting and playing in all seven sets. These two wins put the Bisons into a tie for eighth place with an 8-10 Canada West record.
Abbott is fourth in conference kills at 252, fourth in Canada West points with 291.0 and tied for 15th in CW digs with 182 while starting in all 18 matches (playing in all 73 sets so far) in the 2017-18 conference regular season.
Bison third year jump specialist Oyinko Akinola is the men’s Athlete of the Week. Akinola continues to have a banner season after a year absence from the Bison men’s track and field team. He was a triple threat during the 2018 Golden Bear Open meet hosted by the University of Alberta in Edmonton from January 19-20.
Akinola placed second in the men’s long jump with a 7.15m jump. This mark automatically qualified him for the 2018 U SPORTS Track and Field Championship, being hosted by University of Windsor from March 8-10, and was also the third best jump so far in U SPORTS this season.
In addition, the Lagos, Nigeria native was third in the men’s triple jump on Sat., Jan. 20 with a leap of 14.49m plus he was fourth in the men’s high jump with a 2.00m jump, which now ranks him 11th in U SPORTS in that event.
The Bisons finished second, helped largely from points earned by Akinola, in the team standing at the Golden Bear Open despite not fielding a full men’s team contingent.
The Bison men’s track and field team is ranked third in U SPORTS latest poll and first in the Canada West conference.
Laura Manning, Manitoba Post
Photos – gobisons.ca