The Angelo State track & field teams had two student-athletes honored Thursday as the Lone Star Conference announced its Track & Field Athletes of the Week. Seniors Celethia Byrd and James Howell were named the league's Female and Male Runners of the Week, respectively.

Byrd, a native of Austin, collected third honor in three weeks after posting a personal-best in the 400-meter dash Saturday at the Bobby Lane Invitational hosted by Texas-Arlington. Byrd recorded the third-best time in the event in school history and the fastest mark in more than 10 years as she had a time of 54.64, automatically qualifying for the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championships in May. Byrd had previously automatically qualified in the 200-meter dash and provisionally qualified in the 100-meter dash.

Howell, a native of Long Beach, Calif., placed second in the 400-meter dash at the Bobby Lane Invite Saturday with a time of 47.32. He improved on his previous provisional qualifying mark for the 2010 NCAA D-II National Championships.

The Rams and Rambelles are currently competing in two events. Seventeen student-athletes, nine men and eight women, are participating in the Texas Relays, which runs through Saturday. The remaining Rams and Rambelles are competing at the McMurry Relays in Abilene Thursday.