NATCHITOCHES—A Southland Conference record and multiple SLC-leading marks help Northwestern State earn two more SLC Track Athlete of the Week awards.

Vanessa Balde, one of the members of the record-breaking 4x400 relay team, earned the SLC Women's Track Athlete of the Week, while Zachaeus Beard won the award on the men's side.

It is the second straight week that NSU has won both weekly track awards after Sanaria Butler and Keontae Gaines won them last week.

The awards are the first one for both this season.

Balde ran a leg on that relay team that finished second in the prelims at the Texas Relays with a school-record 3:35.50. That time was third in conference history. But if that wasn't enough, the 4x400 relay team did even better in the finals, clocking an incredible 3:32.67 to shatter both the SLC and the program record, as that mark is currently No. 16 in the nation.

If that wasn't enough, the sophomore ran the top time in the conference this season in the 200-meter dash, clocking a 23.67 at the Bobcat Invitational, leading three NSU athletes in the top three in the event.

She also ran a 13.44 in the 100-meter hurdles, which would have been the top time if Balde didn't clock a 13.27 last meet.

While he didn't break a conference record, Beard did run the top time in the SLC this season in the 100, clocking a 10.20 at the Bobcat Invitational.

He then ran a 20.90 in the 200-meter dash at the Bobcat Invitational, the second-best time in the conference, only behind teammate Gaines.

The track and field teams each have the week off after the grueling meets in Texas before staying at home for the Leon Johnson Invitational, starting April 12.