Posted: June 30, 2005

Athletics: Clement named USATF Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS - Kerron Clement has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after winning the 400m hurdles and the men's Visa Championship on the final day of the 2005 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships presented by Visa in Carson, California.

Clement's remarkable time of 47.24 seconds on Sunday is the fastest in that event in seven years, and it vaulted him to the win in the Race for the Championship with 1,261 points - the top performance by any athlete in the Visa Championship Series.

The women's Visa Championship Series was won by 2004 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist Sanya Richards, who wrested the title from series leader Lashinda Demus when her world-leading 400-meter time of 49.28 seconds garnered 1,226 points. Demus' personal-best of 53.35 seconds in the 400m hurdles on Saturday won her a coveted national title, but left her one point shy of the VCS women's crown with 1,225 points.

Not to be outdone, American record performances were turned in at Carson by Erin Gilreath in the women's hammer with the best throw in the world this season of 73.87 meters/242 feet, 4 inches; and 42-year-old Teresa Vaill, a 2004 Olympian, who broke the American record in the 20,000m race walk with her time of 1:33:28.15.

Setting U.S. Junior records were Erica McClain in winning the USA women's triple jump title with a mark of 14.01/45-11.75; and Maria Michta, who added the 10,000m race walk track American junior record to her resume in winning the event in 50:24.54 to break Lisa Chumbley's 1993 record of 50:26.9.

In addition to Clement, Richards and Demus, athletes turning in world-leading marks at the USA Outdoor Championships included Allen Johnson in the men's 110-meter hurdles (12.99), Jeremy Wariner in the men's 400 meters (44.20), Allyson Felix in the women's 200m (22.13) and Michelle Perry in the women's 100m hurdles (12.43).

Elsewhere, Team USA's women's squad won the gold medal Sunday at the 2005 IAU 100 km World Cup in Lake Saroma, Hokkaido, Japan, as second-place finisher and silver medalist Anne Riddle-Lundblad led the way.

A resident of Ashville, N.C., Riddle-Lundblad posted a time of 7 hours, 54 minutes, 22 seconds, a mere 40 seconds shy of the winning time over the grueling 62.1 mile course. Nikki Kimball of Bozeman, Mont., was seventh (8:22:58) and Tanya Pacev of Lakewood, Colo., was ninth to round out the American scoring.

Now in its fifth 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.

2005 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 4, Amy Rudolph; January 11, Dathan Ritzenhein; January 18, Janine Davis; January 25, Wallace Spearmon Jr.; February 1, Erin Gilreath; February 8, LaShawn Merritt; February 15, LaShawn Merritt; February 22, Walter Davis; March 1, Angela Daigle; March 8, Gov. Mike Huckabee; March 15, Kerron Clement; March 22, Lauren Fleshman; March 29, Deena Kastor; April 5, Deena Kastor; April 12, Tianna Madison; April 19 Alan Culpepper; April 26, John Godina; May 3, Amy Rudolph; May 10, Galen Rupp; May 17, Erica McLain; May 24, John Godina; June 1, Walter Dix; June 8, Justin Gatlin; June 15, Darold Williamson; June 23, Willie Gault; June 28, Kerron Clement.

Best Marks Week Ending June 26

MEN 
100 - 9.99 Shawn Crawford (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/25 U.S. leader
200 - 20.04 Justin Gatlin (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/26
400 - 44.20 Jeremy Wariner (adidas) - Carson, CA 6/25 World leader
800 - 1:45.27 Khadevis Robinson (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/26
1500 - 3:38.96 Rob Myers (Reebok) - Carson, CA 6/23
3000SC - 8:17.27 Daniel Lincoln (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/25 U.S. leader
5000 - 13:12.76 Tim Broe (adidas) - Carson, CA 6/24 U.S. leader
10,000 - 28:10.38 Abdi Abdirahman (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/23
20K Race Walk - 1:26:41.36 Tim Seaman (NYAC) - Carson, CA 6/26
110H - 12.99 Allen Johnson (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/24 World leader
400H - 47.24 Kerron Clement (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/26 World leader
HJ - 2.27/7-5.25 Matt Hemingway (adidas)& three others - Carson, CA 6/26
PV - 5.75/18-10.25 Brad Walker (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/23
LJ - 8.35/27-4.75 Miguel Pate (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/23 U.S. leader
TJ - 17.15/56-3.25 Walter Davis (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/25
SP - 21.64/71-0 Christian Cantwell (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/26
DT - 64.54/211-9 Ian Waltz (HPTC) - Carson, CA 6/23
HT - 74.15/243-3 James Parker (USAF) - Carson, CA 6/24
JT - 79.19/259-10 Breaux Greer (adidas) - Carson, CA 6/24
Decathlon - 8506 Bryan Clay (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/24 U.S. leader

WOMEN 
100 - 11.04 MeLisa Barber (adidas) - Carson, CA 6/24 U.S. leader
200 - 22.13 Allyson Felix (adidas) - Carson, CA 6/26 World leader
400 - 49.28 Sanya Richards (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/25 World leader
800 - 1:59.74 Hazel Clark (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/26
1500 - 4:06.73 Treniere Clement (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/25 U.S. leader
3000SC - 9:39.78 Elizabeth Jackson (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/26 U.S. leader
5000 - 15:10.96 Shalane Flanagan (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/23
10,000 - 31:33.82 Katie McGregor (adidas) - Carson, CA 6/24
20K Race Walk - 1:33:28.15 Teresa Vaill (Walk USA) - Carson, CA 6/25
100H - 12.43 Michelle Perry (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/26 World leader
400H - 53.35 Lashinda Demus (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/25U.S. leader
HJ - 1.90/6-2.75 Amy Acuff (Asics) & two others- Carson, CA 6/23
PV - 4.45/14-7.25 Stacy Dragila (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/25
LJ - 6.70/21-11.75 Grace Upshaw (Nike) & Tianna Madison (Tennessee) - Carson, CA 6/24
TJ - 14.01/45-11.75 Erica McLain (Stanford) - Carson, CA 6/26 American Junior Record
SP - 18.68/61-3.5 Kristin Heaston (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/24 U.S. leader
DT - 62.92/206-5 Becky Breisch (Nebraska) - Carson, CA 6/23
HT - 73.87/242-4 Erin Gilreath (NYAC) - Carson, CA 6/25 American Record/World leader
JT - 58.95/193-5 Kim Kreiner (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/23
Heptathlon - 6208 Hyleas Fountain (Nike) - Carson, CA 6/26