CLINTON, Iowa - A pair of Rockford, Ill., products have been named the Jimmy John's Male and Female Athletes of the Month at Ashford University. Men's basketball senior Byron Emerson and women's track and field freshman Nkemdilim Okwumabua earned the Athlete of the Month honors based on their individual performances in the month of February.

Emerson averaged 14.2 points per game through seven games in the month, including two clutch performances that propelled the Saints to the semifinals of the Midwest Collegiate Conference tournament. He reached double figures in points in five contests in February, including back-to-back 20-point games vs. Waldorf (22) and St. Ambrose (20).

Emerson proved his physical and mental toughness playing with a fractured knuckle to make his trips to the free throw line worthwhile. He connected on 37-of-44 free throw attempts (84 percent) in the month, including the 14 charity-stripe shots he made in the Feb. 17 contest against the Fighting Bees.

Okwumabua has earned back-to-back Athlete of the Month accolades after her dominating performances on the track in February. Already being one of the seven Saints track and field members going to the NAIA National Track and Field Championships, she earned All-MCC honors at the MCC Indoor Championships after winning the 400 and 600-meter runs.

In the 600-meter run, Okwumabua set a new MCC indoor meet record with a time of 1:40.53. She also had a strong showing at the Dr. Jim Green Invitational on Feb. 6 when she won the 400 meter run in a school record time of 1:00.19.

Okwumabua's time in the 600-meter run earned her an automatic qualification for the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships held March 4-6 in Johnson City, Tenn.

- By Mitch Stoermer, Assistant SID