The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MINNESOTA State Mavericks’ junior sprinter Denisha Cartwright had a remarkable season that led to her being named the NSIC’s Women’s Track Athlete and Newcomer of the Year.

But the 21-year-old transfer from Central State University is hoping that the accolade will boost her performance as she prepares for the outdoor season.

Cartwright received the award today that she earned as the overall points leader in the NSIC Indoor Championships with 28 points with her conference championships in the 60m hurdles and 200m dash to go along with a second place finish in the 60m dash.

The former volleyball player at Nassau Christian Academy and the Panthers Club in the New Providence Volleyball Association said she was thrilled about receiving the award, but she doesn’t want to rest on her laurels.

“This just means that I have to keep up with my hard work in training, so that I can be able to get many more,” said Cartwright, who was awarded with several Athlete of the Week honours during the season.

She joined head coach Mike Turgeon, who was voted as the NSIC Indoor Track and Field Coach of the year by his fellow coaches following last week’s conference championships.

Turgeon led Minnesota State women’s track and field team to reclaim the NSIC title from U-Mary for the first time since 2017 with 18 Mavericks claiming all-conference honours by finishing in the top three of individual events, or top two in relay events.

The Minnesota State women’s track and field programme has 12 individual athletes qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships with 18 total individual events and the 4x400m relay team qualifying.

Looking back at her performances, Cartwright said she was extremely pleased with her performance in the hurdles, although she wished what she did in the NSIC Championships would have been duplicated at the NCAA Division II Championships.

“My performance at indoor nationals wasn’t my best and I wasn’t happy about it,” said Cartwright after she received All-American honours with her second place in the 60m hurdles, sixth in the 60m and third in the 200m.

She also ran the second leg on the Mavericks’ 4 x 400m relay team that finished third and allowed Minnesota State to capture second place in the NCAA Division II championship standings.

Cartwright, the daughter of Bahamian volleyball great Leslie ‘Russia’ Cartwright and Denise Cartwright, hopes that she can get her outdoor season off to a great start when she opens up this weekend at the Mavericks Spring Invitational.

She will be working towards an appearance at the NSIC Outdoor Championships in Duluth, Minnesota from May 13-15 and the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, set for May 27-29 in Allendale, Michigan.

And if she qualifies, Cartwright could be jet-setting off to the postponed 2020 Olympic Games that has been rescheduled for Friday, July 23 to Sunday, August 8, 2021.

July in Tokyo, Japan.