ROSEMONT, Ill. - Fighting Illini men's track and field sprinter DJ Zahn has been named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week, it was announced today. Zahn is the first back-to-back Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week this season and Illinois' first back-to-back winner since Andrew Riley accomplished the feat during the 2012 season.

Zahn helped lead the Orange and Blue to their third consecutive Hy-Vee Cup victory at the Drake Relays last weekend. Illinois scored 33 points to easily outdistance a field that included then top-25 teams Arkansas (No. 7), Texas Tech (No. 10), Georgia (No. 11), Baylor (No. 12), Oklahoma State (No. 17), Nebraska (No. 19) and Arizona State (No. 22). The win also helped vault the Illini into the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association top-25 for the first time this outdoor season, as they debuted at No. 17 in this week's rankings.

At the Drake Relays, Zahn competed in the 4x100m, 4x400m and sprint medley relays, helping those squads to two victories and a runner-up finish. The sprint medley relay team of Maurice Watkins, Brandon Stryganek, Zahn and Joe McAsey won in a time of 3:18.85, the ninth-best performance in the NCAA. The 4x400m team of Cam Viney, David Kendziera, Joe McAsey and Zahn also came away with a victory, breaking the tape in 3:06.23 to topple Baylor. The same quartet ran 3:05.63, the 10th-fastest time in the NCAA, in prelims to qualify for the final. Zahn also teamed up with Watkins, Stryganek and Cole Henderson to finish second in the 4x100m relay, clocking 40.17.

The Morton, Illinois native continues to have a stellar senior campaign, as he currently ranks in the top 20 of the NCAA in five different events. His highest individual ranking is in the 400m, in which he is ranked seventh with a time of 45.70. He has also posted the 16th-best performance in the 200m, clocking 20.63 at the Illinois Twilight on April 18. In addition to the top-10 rankings for this past weekend's relays, the 4x100m relay team of Mo Maat, Stryganek and Henderson ran 39.56 at the Jim Click Shootout, the 12th-best time in the nation.

Zahn and the rest of the Orange and Blue will head to Iowa City, Iowa for the Musco Twilight on Saturday, May 2. The meet will serve as Illinois' final tune-up before the Big Ten Championships on May 15-17.