Posted: June 9, 2004

Athletics: Cantwell named USATF Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS – Christian Cantwell has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after throwing a 2004 world-leading mark and personal best in the Portland Tribune Men’s shot put Saturday at the adidas Oregon Track Classic.

The 2004 World Indoor shot put champion, Cantwell extended his winning streak to 12 meets and set a meet-record with a mark of 22.54 meters/73 feet, 11.50 inches. Cantwell bettered the previous meet record of 22.51m/73-10.75 set in 2002 by Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson, who placed second on Saturday (21.68m/71-1.50). Three-time world champion John Godina was third (21.67m/71-1.25).

At the Home Depot Invitational May 22, Cantwell posted the previous 2004 world-leader with a throw of 22.35 m/73-4.

Another world-leading performance over the weekend was turned in by 2000 Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila, who cleared 4.70m/15-5 to win Saturday at the Meeting de Atletismo Sevilla 2004, in Seville, Spain.

Other notable performances included Colleen DeReuck setting a new masters 5 km world road record as well as winning the USA Masters Championship crown Saturday at the 26th Freihofer's Run for Women in Albany, New York. The winner of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Women's Marathon Trials in April, De Reuck finished third overall in 15:48, bettering Ruth Wysocki's previous record of 16:06 set in 1997. Her performance also betters a pending 15:55 world record set by Russia's Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova in 2003.

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; March 23, Phillip Dunn; March 30, Max Springer; April 6, Colleen De Reuck; April 13, Erin Gilreath; April 20, Maurice Greene; May 4, Tonette Dyer; May 11, Toby Stevenson; May 18, Sheena Johnson; May 25, Tim Seaman; June 1, Maurice Greene; June 8, Christian Cantwell.

Best Marks Week Ending June 6

Men

100 - 10.07 John Capel (adidas) - Gresham, OR 6/5
200 - 20.23 Shawn Crawford (Mizuno) - Seville, ESP 6/5
400 - 44.66 Andrew Rock (Wisconsin-La Crosse) - Los Angeles, CA 6/5
800 - 1:45.59 David Krummenacker (adidas) - Turin, ITA 6/4   U.S. leader
1500 - 3:33.70 Alan Webb (Nike) - Hengelo, HOL 5/31
3000 - 7:50.70 Anthony Famiglietti (adidas) - Gresham, OR 6/5
3000SC - 8:26.33 Steve Slattery (Nike) - Hengelo, HOL 5/31
10,000 - 28:30.96 Mike Donnelly (Nike) - Burnaby, CAN 6/5
110H - 13.12 Allen Johnson (Nike) - Stanford, CA 5/31
400H - 48.90 James Carter (Nike) - Seville, ESP 6/5
HJ - 2.27/7-5.25 Jamie Nieto (Nike) & Matt Hemingway (Unattached) - Gresham, OR 6/5
PV - 5.85/19-2.25 Toby Stevenson (Nike) - Stanford, CA 5/31
LJ - 8.23/27-0 Dwight Phillips (Nike) - Seville, ESP 6/5
TJ - 16.75/54-11.5 Von Ware (Sheffield Elite) - Los Angeles, CA 6/5
SP - 22.54/73-11.5 Christian Cantwell (Nike) - Gresham, OR 6/5  World leader
HT - 74.40/244-1 Michael Mai (US Army) - Stanford, CA 6/5
JT - 77.77/255-2 Tom Pukstys (adidas) - Dessau, GER 6/4
Decathlon - 8085 Stephen Moore (Unattached) - Arles, FRA 6/6

Women

100 - 11.20 Ashley Owens (Colorado HS) - Albuquerque, NM 6/5
200 - 22.37 LaTasha Colander (Sprint Capital) - Stanford, CA 5/31
400 - 50.50 Michelle Collins (Nike) - Atlanta, GA 6/5
800 - 1:58.83 Nicole Teter (Nike) - Stanford, CA 5/31  U.S. leader
1500 - 4:09.03 Sarah Schwald (Nike) - Stanford, CA 5/31
3000 - 8:51.22 Amy Rudolph (adidas) - Gresham, OR 6/5  U.S. leader
10,000 - 34:06.79 Janelle Kraus (Boston AA) - Burnaby, CAN 6/5
100H - 12.66 Jenny Adams (Nike) - Gresham, OR 6/5
400H - 54.91 Sandra Glover (Unattached) - Bydgoszcz, POL 6/5
HJ - 1.90/6-2.75 Amy Acuff (Asics) - Houston, TX 6/4
PV - 4.70/15-5 Stacy Dragila (Nike) - Stanford, CA 5/31  World leader
LJ - 6.62/21-8.75 Grace Upshaw (Nike) - Stanford, CA 5/31
SP - 17.15/56-3.25 L'Orangerie Crawford (USC) - Los Angeles, CA 6/5
DT - 64.73/212-4 Aretha Hill (Nike) - Gresham, OR 6/5
HT - 67.36/221-0 Amy Palmer (Unattached) - Logan, UT 6/5
JT - 54.20/177-10 Kim Kreiner (Nike) - Los Angeles, CA 6/5
Heptathlon - 6059 Michelle Perry (Nike) - Arles, FRA 6/6

From USATF.org.