WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior
Smiley Huynh of
The Bronx, New York, from the women’s track and field team and senior
Dylan Walters of
Baltimore, Maryland, and the men’s tennis team have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending April 7.
Huynh broke a nearly two-decade-old school record in the outdoor pole vault on Sunday, April 7, at the Amherst College Spring Fling. Huynh vaulted 1.65 meters, or 11 feet, 11 ¾ inches, nearly becoming the first woman in school history to break 12 feet outdoors. She placed third at the meet and is now ranked 16
th in Division III in the pole vault this season. The previous record of 1.60 meters had been set by
Jane Farrell ’05 in 2005.
This was Huynh’s best career pole vault by 0.25 meters during the outdoor season and by 0.10 meters including her indoor performances.
The Judges are back in action this weekend at the Carla Coffey Invitational at Smith College.
Walters went 2-2 in the #1 spots this week for the men’s tennis team, with two narrow doubles losses and a pair of wins in singles. In doubles action, he and first-year
Pierce Garbett dropped an 8-7 (7-3) decision against #26-ranked MIT and then lost by an 8-6 score against University Athletic Association rivals New York University.
Walters then bounced back nicely in singles action. Against MIT, he earned a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, victory, while against NYU Walters picked up a 6-4, 7-5, win. He improved to 7-4 overall this season at #1 singles and was ranked #6 in the Northeast Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
The shorthanded Judges dropped both matches – 6-3 to MIT and 5-4 to NYU – as they played with just five team members, sacrificing points at #3 doubles and #6 singles. They will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday against Coast Guard and take on the University of Mary Washington on Friday afternoon.
This is the eighth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights a top Brandeis student-athlete who has had an outstanding athletic achievement from the week prior. Each selected student-athlete will be featured on the Brandeis athletics homepage and inside the Chateau Waltham and Jake N Joes
Owned and operated by the Nocera Family, the Chateau Restaurant of Waltham opened in 1933 and set the standard for providing the tradition of Italian family dining, friendly service and quality food at reasonable prices for its customers. Located on 195 School Street, with 900 seats, the Chateau is always ready to accommodate large parties.
The Nocera Family consists of 6 brothers who have always had a passion for playing sports. In 2010, The Nocera Family launched a new concept, Jake n JOES Sports Grille. Jake n JOES Waltham opened in 2014 and is the best place to watch a game and enjoy quality food.
"Brandeis student-athletes are fantastic role models in our community,” says Chateau President Joe Nocera, “They exemplify the ideals of excellence and commitment both on and off the playing field. The Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES Waltham are proud to partner with Brandeis Athletics to continue to enhance a positive focus within the Waltham Community."
Huynh is a 2020 graduate of Bronx High School For Science. For more information on Brandeis women’s track and field, visit their web page at
https:/brandeisjudges.com/sports/wtrack
Walters is a 2020 graduate of The Gilman School. For more information on Brandeis men’s tennis visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mten.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at
www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
