ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia University's Domonique Gilmer has brought in CU's first winter NSIC Athlete of the Week award,  being honored as this week's Men's Track Athlete of the Week.  Gilmer posted a brilliant time in the 400 meter dash last weekend and is currently ranked 2nd nationally in the event.

Gilmer (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn. / Iowa Central CC) has excelled in each of Concordia's three meets this season, his first since transferring to Concordia from Iowa Central CC, but his performance last weekend was his best so far.  Running against the prestige of University of Minnesota athletes, Gilmer won the 400m dash with a time of 48.86 seconds.  This time not only set a new school record in the event, but also was an NCAA provisional mark and is the second best time in the nation this season.  He trails just one other DII athlete, Steven Banton of Lincoln, by just six hundredths of a second.

Gilmer's performance is Concordia's first NCAA provisional mark of the 2009-10 season and sets the ball rolling for a chance to race at the NCAA Championships.  Ranking second nationally, Gilmer has a great shot to be among the field of athletes chosen for the 400m dash by the time the Championships are held in mid-March and also has a number of chances to best his time and possibly reach an automatic mark.  A provisional mark qualifies an athlete for the NCAA Championships, where the top performances are chosen to fill an event.  An automatic-qualifying time, a mark of 48.30s in this event, guarantees an athlete a position at the Championships.

Gilmer also ran the lead leg of the CU men's 4x400m relay, helping put up a time of 3:22.5.  This mark is just two seconds off of Concordia's best-ever time in the event.  Gilmer ran the team's fastest leg in the race with a time of 49.4s.