WESTFIELD, Mass.  –  Westfield State University's Gordon Johnson (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson HS) and Nathan Sylven (Wrentham, Mass./King Phillip) have been named as the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference's men's track and field athlete of the week, and rookie of the week.

Johnson, a sophomore, was selected as the athlete of the week after winning the 800 meters at the Jerry Gravel Invitational meet on Saturday.   Johnson posted a time of 1:58.70.

Saturday was a busy day for Owls' first-year Nathan Sylven, who finished in the top three in all three of his events. Sylven started the meet with the 3000-meter steeplechase where he placed second with a time of 9:49.27.

He followed up with a third-place finish in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:21.84, and added a second-place result in the 5000 meters, stopping the clock in 16:18.14.   Sylven claims the league's outdoor track rookie of the week award for the first time.  He was the loop's cross country rookie of the week five times during the fall season and won the league's championship meet to earn the cross country runner and rookie of the year awards.

Westfield placed second as a team at the Gravel Invitational, their home meet.

Johnson, Sylven and the Owls will be back in action on Saturday, April 20 at the Trinity College Invitational Meet.