The Kansas Relays were kind to a couple of Northwest Missouri State athletes.

Thrower Ben McKim automatically qualified for the NCAA National Championships in the shot put by winning his event last weekend, while Audrey Bailey earned an automatic bid to nationals with her second-place performance in the 400-meter hurdles.

The efforts were good enough for both to earn MIAA athlete of the week honors, as announced Wednesday.

McKim’s throw of 58 feet, 3 inches was 3 feet ahead of runner-up Sean Pruitt of Michigan, giving the junior the third-best throw in Division II this season.

McKim’s toss moved him past his brother Daniel and into fourth in program records. Daniel McKim competed at Northwest from 2000 to 2004, with a personal best of 57-3. Ben McKim now sits behind the Woolsey brothers (Conrad and Tucker) and 2006 national champion Clint Prange.

The older McKim’s mark has been Ben McKim’s goal for some time.

“Definitely, since I came to college I’ve been trying to beat that 57 mark that he hit,” Ben McKim said. “There is a real sibling rivalry, a little bit.”

“He’s got a lot more in him,” said Daniel McKim, who got the news from his brother by phone shortly after the event. “He could throw 60 this year, no problem.”

Northwest coach Scott Lorek said his national qualifier’s attitude has made him a national meet contender.

“The main thing about him is just his enthusiasm for it,” Lorek said. “He loves the events he does. He loves throwing, coming to practice, lifting — the whole package.”

Bailey’s time of 1:01.25 in the hurdles was more than two-tenths of a second lower than her previous career best and enabled her to finish ahead of three Division I competitors.

“In most places she would have the school record, but our school record is pretty stout,” Lorek said.

The Northwest school record of 1:00.02 was set in the 1980s by Kim Spriggs.