Athletics: Richards named USATF Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS – Sanya Richards has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after setting a collegiate record in the women’s 400m at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The reigning USA Outdoor 400m champion, Richards ran 50.82 seconds to win the NCAA 400m, which not only set a collegiate but also a championship, facility and school record. She also anchored the 4x400m relay to its second consecutive national crown and had a runner-up finish in the 200m (22.49) to lead the Longhorn women to a tie for seventh-place. Richards’ 200m and 400m marks rank her the #2 and #4 performer, respectively, on the world’s best list. She also tallied 20.5 of the team’s 30 points, which was the most points scored by any athlete at the Championships. The sophomore shattered her own school record of 51.45 seconds, which she set on Feb. 13 at the Tyson Foods Invitational on the same track.

Other collegiate records turned in at NCAA Indoors include Texas freshman Donovan Kilmartin, who won the men’s heptathlon with 6,136 points to help lead the men to a fourth-place finish. North Carolina junior Laura Gerraughty broke her own all-time collegiate record for the women's shot put and took home her second consecutive NCAA Indoor shoot put title. The 2004 USA Indoor shot put champion, Gerraughty threw 19.15 meters/62 feet, 10 inches, also setting the Fieldhouse record.

World leading performances from this weekend include Kansas’ Leo Bookman (20.42) to win the men’s 200m, and Baylor’s Jeremy Wariner (45.39) to win the men’s 400m at the NCAA Championships.

In prep action, Palm Bay (Fla.) senior Xavier Carter set a high school record of 20.69 seconds in the 200m Sunday during the National Scholastics Indoor Championships at The Armory Track & Field Center in New York City. Carter, who is headed to LSU in the fall, ranks as a top-ten performer on the world list this year. Cinco Ranch High’s (Katy, Texas) Scott Sellers, set a high school record in the high jump (2.27m/7-5.25) at the Nike Indoor Championships in Landover, Md. The junior’s mark ties him for the 20th best performer on the world list.

Now in its fourth year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on the USATF website. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.

2004 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 13, Dan Taylor; January 20, Jen Toomey; January 27, Erin Gilreath; February 3, Jearl Miles-Clark; February 10, Alan Culpepper; February 17, Curt Clausen; February 24, Jen Toomey; March 2, Gail Devers; March 9, Allen Johnson; March 16, Sanya Richards.

Best Marks Week Ending March 14

Men:

60 - 6.59 DaBryan Blanton (Oklahoma) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
200 - 20.42 Leo Bookman (Kansas) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12   World Leader
400 - 45.39 Jeremy Wariner (Baylor) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13    World Leader
800 - 1:47.77 Mike Inge (Kent) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
Mile - 4:00.16 Sean Jefferson (Indiana) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
3000 - 8:02.82 Matt Tegenkamp (Wisconsin) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
5000 - 13:40.91 Ian Dobson (Stanford) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
60H - 7.61 Antwon Hicks (Ole Miss) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
HJ - 2.27/7-5.25 Scott Sellers (Cinco Ranch HS, Katy, TX) - Landover, MD 3/14
PV - 5.70/18-8.25 Brad Walker (Washington) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
LJ - 8.17/26-9.75 John Moffitt (LSU) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
TJ - 17.05/55-11.25 LeJuan Simon (LSU) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
SP - 20.30/66-7.25 Dan Taylor (Ohio State) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
WT - 23.66/77-7.5 Dan Taylor (Ohio State) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
Heptathlon - 6136 Donovan Kilmartin (Texas) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13  Collegiate Record

Women:

60 - 7.20 Muna Lee (LSU) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
200 - 22.49 Sanya Richards (Texas) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
400 - 50.82 Sanya Richards (Texas) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13  Collegiate Record
800 - 2:03.27 Nicole Cook (Tennessee) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
Mile - 4:32.24 Tiffany McWilliams (Mississippi State) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
3000 - 9:05.02 Sara Bei (Stanford) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
5000 - 15:45.08 Alicia Craig (Stanford) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
60H - 8.00 Lolo Jones (LSU) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
HJ - 1.92/6-3.5 Chaunte Howard (Georgia Tech) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
PV - 4.25/13-11.25 Chelsea Johnson (UCLA) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
LJ - 6.58/21-7.25 Hyleas Fountain (Georgia) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
TJ - 13.62/44-8.25 Chaytan Hill (Kansas State) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13
SP - 19.15/62-10 Laura Gerraughty (North Carolina) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13   Collegiate Record
WT - 21.99/72-1.75 Amber Campbell (Coastal Carolina) - Fayetteville, AR 3/12
Pentathlon - 4412 Hyleas Fountain (Georgia) - Fayetteville, AR 3/13