Posted: December 7, 2004

Athletics: The 2004 USA Track & Field Award Winners

PORTLAND, Ore. - At the 26th Annual USA Track & Field Convention this past weekend, a horde of honors and awards were handed-out and announced. Here are the big winners:

JESSE OWENS AWARD
Joanna Hayes, hurdles
Justin Gatlin, sprints

HALL OF FAME
Joan Benoit Samuelson, distance running
Gerry Lindgren, distance running
Michael Conley, jumps
Michael Johnson, sprints
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, heptathlon/jumps
Jack Davis, hurdles
Otis Davis, sprints
John Pennel, pole vault
Stan Huntsman, coach
Dr. Evie Dennis, contributor

PACESETTER AWARD
Irwin "Ike" Belk

GIEGENGACK AWARD
Brooks Johnson

PRESIDENT'S AWARDS
USATF President Bill Roe honored 12 USATF contributors with President's Awards during the 2004 Annual Meeting Opening Session. Below are the honorees:

* Mark Springer - USATF employee since 1986, working in all areas of the sport; currently USATF Director of Grassroots Programs & Planning; long-time Annual Meeting organizer
* Meb Keflezighi - 2004 Olympic men's marathon silver medalist, 10,000m and 20K American record holder
* Deena Kastor - 2004 Olympic women's marathon bronze medalist, 5K, 10,000m, 15K and marathon American record holder, Athletes Advisory Committee contributor
* Kathy Fones - New Mexico Association contributor, youth/junior track & field advocate
* Antonio Pettigrew - Athletes' Advisory Committee officer and Board of Directors member, coach, former U.S. 400m champion and 4x400m relay world record holder, former Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year
* Erica Wheeler - Athletes' Advisory Committee officer and Board of Directors member, former U.S. javelin champion
* George Williams - 2004 Olympic Team men's head coach; 1999 World Outdoor Championships, 1993 World Indoor Championships and 1992 IAAF World Cup men's head coach; coach at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, N.C., since 1976
* Mike Frankfurt - Chairman of the Armory Foundation in New York, New York Road Runners Club member, long-time contributor
* Mary Rosado - Women's Long Distance Running Committee member, Law & Legislation Committee constituent
* Cynthia Doyle - USATF Board of Directors Member, National Federation of State High School Associations assistant director, high school track & field advocate
* Thomas McLean - former USATF Executive Director of Programs, long-time Annual Meeting organizer, former NCAA 800m champion
* Harry Simonis - Oregon Association Executive Director, host of five World Cross Country Trials in last 12 years, long-time sport contributor

OTHER AWARDS
Visa Humanitarian Athlete-of-the-Year
Brenda Taylor, Chula Vista, CA

Nike Coach-of-the-Year
Clyde Hart, Waco, TX

Verizon Youth Athlete-of-the-Year
Lashawn Merritt, Portsmouth, VA 

BENGAY Masters Athlete-of-the-Year
Kathryn Martin, Northport, NY

At the annual Awards Breakfast on Saturday, December 4, USATF also announced the 2004 award winners for their contributions on and off the track.

USATF Distance Running Awards

MEN'S LDR
Robert E. DeCelle Award
(Outstanding Male Long Distance Runner)
Meb Keflezighi, Mammoth Lakes/San Diego, CA

Scott Hamilton Award
(Tribute to a leader in the LDR association program)
Will Lindgren, Omaha, NE

H. Browning Ross Merit Award
(For contribution and service)
Mark Winitz, Los Altos, CA

WOMEN'S LDR
Runner-of-the-Year
Deena Kastor, Mammoth Lakes, CA

Contributor-of-the-Year
Kim Keenan-Kirkpatrick, Pittstown, NJ

MOUNTAIN/ULTRA/TRAIL
Ted Corbitt Ultra Distance Runner-of-the-Year Award
Dave Mackey, Boulder, CO

Ruth Anderson Ultra Distance Running Athlete-of-the-Year
Nikki Kimball, Livingston, MT

Masters Ultrarunner-of-the-Year Award
Ann Heaslett, Madison, WI
William Emerson, Portland, OR

Mountain Runner-of-the-Year
OPEN: Laura Haefeli, Del Norte, CO; Paul Low, Amherst, MA 
MASTERS: Anita Ortiz, Eagle, CO; Andy Ames, Boulder, CO 

MUT Council Contributor-of-the-Year
North Texas Trail Runners

CROSS COUNTRY
Cross Country Council Award: Carole Langenbach, SeaTac, WA
Athletes-of-the-Year: Shalane Flanagan, Chapel Hill, NC; Robert Gary, Columbus, OH
Masters Athletes-of-the-Year: Kathryn Martin, Northport, NY; Tom Dalton, Schenectady, NY

MASTERS LDR Outstanding Athletes of 2004
40-44
Dennis Simonaitis, Draper, UT
Colleen De Reuck, Boulder, CO
45-49
Craig Fram, Hampstead, NH
Janet Robertz, Shorewood, MN
50-54
Gary Romesser, Indianapolis, IN
Kathryn Martin, Northport, NY
55-59
Bill Dixon, Brattleboro, VT
Gloria Jansen, Edina, MN
60-64
Joachim Bechtle, San Francisco, CA
Shirley Matson, Larkspur, CA
Janet Bober, Burlington, MA
65-69
Joe Burgasser, St. Petersburg, FL
Barbara Miller, Modesto, CA
70-74
Charles Rose, Mooresville, NC
Ginette Bedard, Howard Beach, NY
75-79
Joe Fernandez, Fairhaven, MA
Joy Johnson, San Jose, CA
80-84
Lloyd Young, Pine City, MN
Helen Klein, Rancho Cordova, CA
85-89
Henry Sypniewski, Cheektowaga, NY
George Whitney, Orange, CT
Hedy Marque, Alexandria, VA
90-94
Max Springer, Knoxville, TN
Edith Allen, Laguna Woods, CA


Otto Essig Award: Meritorious Service to Masters LDR 
Alan Jones, Endwell, NY

OTHER AWARDS
Associations
Horace Crow Award: Rich Spielman, Ohio
Association of the Year: Mid-Atlantic

Officials
Andy Bakjian Award: James Gray

Women's Track & Field
Joseph Robichaux Award: Bobby Kersee
C.C. Jackson Award (Track Events): Deena Kastor
C.C. Jackson Award (Field Events): Amy Acuff, Sheila Burrell, Tiombe Hurd

Men's Track & Field
Harrison Dillard Award: Jeremy Wariner
Jim Thorpe Award: Dwight Phillips
Glenn Cunningham Award: Meb Keflezighi
Distinguished Service Award: Roy Griak

John Bennett Decathlon Awards
Athlete: Brian Clay
Individual: Kevin Reid

Race Walking
Captain Ron Zinn Memorial Awards: Curt Clausen, Tim Seaman, Teresa Vaill
Outstanding Association: San Diego-Imperial
Outstanding Contributor: Jim Wolfe

Youth Athletics
Frank Sevigne Award: Mary Elisabeth Addy
Bill Hargrove Award: Oregon
The FloJo Award: Linsie Michels

Masters Track & Field
Athletes of the Year: Rod Parker, Kathryn Martin
Administrator of the Year: Dave Clingan
Outstanding Single Performances of the Year: Rod Parker, Nadine O'Connor
Outstanding Combined Events: Emil Pawlik, Flo Myler
Outstanding Race Walkers: Teresa Vaill, Jack Starr

More USATF Convention news can be found at: USATF.org.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.