Steve Bartholomew (Valparaiso, Ind./Morgan Township H.S.) has received Mid-Continent Conference Athlete of the Week honors after being named the Mid-Con Athlete of the Year at the 2006 Mid-Con Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Bartholomew earned the gold in two events on his way to becoming the first Valpo athlete, male or female, to take Athlete of the Year honors at the Mid-Con Outdoor Championships. He opened the meet with a bang, taking top honors in the hammer with a throw of 189'7", surpassing his own school record and winning the event by almost nine feet.

He then unleashed a monster effort in the discus to qualify for the NCAA regional meet, posting a mark of 170'4", an astounding 18 feet longer than his closest competitor. He also broke his own school record in the event by almost seven feet.

Bartholomew will compete in both the hammer and the discus at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. on May 26. The hammer will kick off the meet at 10 a.m. CDT, while the discus will begin at 2 p.m.