SAN FRANCISCO – UCLA sophomore distance ace Arturo Sotomayor (Roseville, Calif.) was named the Pac-12 Men's Track Athlete of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday. The honor is a career first for Sotomayor and the second for a Bruin this outdoor season.

Sotomayor is having a breakout 2017 and had a breakthrough in the 1,500m this past Saturday at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational. The sophomore trimmed nearly nine seconds off his personal best to clock a 3:42.60 to win the event. The time currently ranks No. 5 in the country and is second in the Pac-12.

Sotomayor has also posted a personal best in the 800m this season with a time of 1:49.20. The UCLA 1,500m event group currently leads the country in the USTFCCCA National Squad Rankings as senior Austin O'Neil ran a 3:42.86 and freshman John Carter Blunt and sophomore George Gleason have converted impressive marks.

The Bruins will wrap up the home schedule this weekend at the Jim Bush Collegiate Invitational on Saturday, April 15. The meet will feature some of the best teams in the country in Alabama, Arizona State, Texas A&M, and UTEP.